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- P - Parousia. Though the word parousia
can mean either coming or presence, as used in Christological contexts, it refers to Christ's glorious return.
There are certain uses of parousia which speak of Christ's return as an imminent event, one which could happen at any time. Other references to Christ's return (parousia)
impose a series of signs that must be fulfilled prior to His return. So
it is best to understand Christ's return as taking place in two stages:
1) He will return to retrieve His bride, the Church from earth to
evaluate her and fit her for His eternal marriage to her. We call this
stage the Rapture. 2)
Having prepared His bride, He will return with her to the earth in
great power and glory to destroy His enemies and begin His kingdom on
earth. We refer to this stage as the Second Coming. See A Comparison of the Rapture and the Second Coming.
In this regard, the following contexts speak of His return for His bride, the Church (the Rapture) (1 Cor. 15:23; 1 Thess. 2:19; 3:13; 4:15; 5:23; 2 Thess. 2:1; James 5:7-8; 2 Pet. 3:4; 1 John 2:28), while the following passages speak of His Second Coming to reign (Matt. 24:3, 27, 37, 39; 2 Thess. 2:8). [A number of passages speak about the coming of humans other than Christ: - of Stephanas, Fortunatas and Achaicus (1 Cor. 16:17); of Titus (2 Cor. 7:6-7); of Paul's personal presence/coming (2 Cor. 10:10; Php. 1:26; 2:12); of the Antichrist (2 Thess. 2:9). One passage speaks of the coming of the day of God (2 Pet. 3:12), a time of terrible judgment.] Amillennialists do not believe Jesus' Parousia will include His literal reign upon present day earth; Dispensational Premillennialists do. Peter used the term parousia to describe Jesus' transfiguration on top of a high mountain (2 Pet. 1:16-18). A careful reading of the gospel accounts of that event (Matt. 16:28-17:9; Mark 9:1-9; Luke 9:27-36) reveals that the purpose of Peter, James, and John’s eyewitness of Jesus’ transformation was for them to be able to report to others what Jesus’ Kingdom here on earth would actually look like when His Parousia (Stage 2) takes place. These gospel accounts reveal what will, from a Jewish point of view, take place in Christ’s Millennial Kingdom: the glorious Messiah, deceased Jewish saints from a bygone era, and Jewish believers in their natural bodies all will coexist in the same time/space/matter continuum in a utopian association on the present earth! (Note that this preview of Christ’s coming Kingdom took place on a high mountain on earth. No one was transported up to heaven or to a new earth.) Premillennialism. The position that Jesus Christ will physically return to earth to dispose of His enemies (Zech. 14:1-4, 12-15; Isa. 63:1-6; Luke 19:12-15, 27; 2 Thess. 1:6-10; Rev. 19:11-21) and judge all survivors of the Tribulation prior to establishing His Kingdom here on earth (Isa. 2:1-4; 9:6-7; 59:19-20; 60:1 - 62:12; 65:20-25; 66:12-13, 18-24; Zech. 14:9-11, 16-21; Amos 9:11-15). This kingdom will last a thousand years (a millennium) (Rev. 20:1-6). (It should here be noted that some Premillennialists do not believe the reference to a thousand years is to be taken literally. See below.) The term Premillennialism signifies that Christ returns to earth prior to His Millennial Kingdom. The prefix pre means before; the word millennium is a Latin word meaning "one thousand years." Thus, Premillennialists believe Christ comes to earth before He reigns over the earth for a thousand years. All premillennialists share in common the following beliefs: 1) There is coming upon the earth a time of terrible trouble called the Tribulation. 2) Jesus Christ will return visibly and bodily to establish His Millennial Kingdom upon earth. 3) Believers from past ages will be resurrected at Christ's return. Both they and believers who survive the Tribulation will participate with Christ in His Millennial Kingdom. 4) Satan will be bound during this Kingdom, but at its end, He will be released, and will deceive many into rebelling against God and Jesus, God's anointed King. 5) Satan will be defeated and cast into the Lake of Fire. 6) God will destroy the existing universe and will create New Heaven and New Earth, on which He will establish His Eternal Kingdom with the redeemed of all ages. Two significant differences exist between Premillennialism on the one hand, and both Amillennialism and Postmillennialism on the other. Those differences are these: First, Premillenialism sees Christ's Millennial Kingdom in connection with the present Earth as being future, whereas both Amillennialism and Postmillennialism view it as somehow taking place in the present between Christ's First and Second Advents. Second, Premillennialism interprets Old and New Testament prophecies as meaning that Christ's Millennial Kingdom will consist of a kingdom on earth that is both spiritual and political. Amillennialism and Postmillennialism believe that Christ's Kingdom in connection with the present earth is only spiritual. That being the case, advocates of these latter two views do not typically use the word Millennium in connection with Christ's Kingdom, inasmuch as they do not believe it will last a literal one thousand years despite John's statement in Revelation 20:1-7 that it will. There are, however, two subdivisions within Premillennialism. These are Historic Premillennialism and Dispensational Premillennialism. Historic Premillennialism. Historic
Premillennialism was the view of the ante-Nicene church with regard to
the millennium. Irenaeus, Justin Martyr, Tertullian, and other early
Christians generally held to this view (Alexander Reece, Historic Premillenialism). Historic Premillennialists downplay the uniqueness of Israel
both during the time prior to the Millennium and during the Millennium.
Dispensationalists see the Tribulation period as uniquely a time of
trial for Israel, the time of "Jacob's distress" (Jer. 30:5-7; Zech. 13:8-9; Rev. 12:13-17) and a time of God's wrath upon the nations (Rev. 6:16-17; 11:18; 14:10, 19; 15:1, 7; 16:1, 19; 19:15). Yet Historic Premillennialists see the Tribulation as a time of trouble which all peoples, including the Church, will experience. So Israel
has no significant role in God's plan in the present. In their view,
when Christ returns to establish His Millennial Kingdom, Israel will
experience national salvation, but there will be no national
restoration of Israel. So Historic Premilllennialists see no role or special function for Israel in Christ's Kingdom that is distinct from the Church (Michael J. Vlach, What is Premillennialism?). Historic Premillennialists, moreover, do not distinguish between Christ's coming for His Church (the Rapture) and His Second Coming in Power to reign over and rule upon Earth. To them, Christ's translation of living believers into glorified saints and His resurrection of deceased saints of all ages takes place at the same time. This means, in effect, that Historic Premillennialists believe in a Post-Tribulation Rapture. This presents some difficulties chronologically speaking. Passages which describe the Rapture present it as an imminent event with no intervening signs that must take place before Jesus can return to retrieve His Bride, the Church (John 14:1-3; 1 Cor. 15:50-58; 1 Thess. 4:13-18; Tit. 2:11-13). On the other hand, passages which describe Jesus' return to Earth in Power to judge and to reign depict multiple signs that must be fulfilled before Christ can return. (See Matt. 24; 2 Thess. 2:1-12; Revelation 6-19.) How can both be true if it is the same event? There are, as well, some other logical difficulties with Historic Premillennialism. Its adherents believe that there will be a Satanically-inspired revolt against Jesus after the Millennium. But where are these rebels going to come from? In their view, Christ's translation of living believers into saints with glorified bodies happens at Christ's Second Coming. This means, logically, that there will be no believers left in their natural bodies to inhabit the Millennial Earth, for all will be resurrected at Christ's return. Who is going to be left in a mortal body, subject to sin, than can rebel against Christ and be killed with fire from heaven (Rev. 20:7-9)? Logically, it cannot be the children of these translated believers, for we are assured by Jesus that, in the resurrection, people are neither married nor given in marriage (Matt. 22:30; Luke 20:35). So, logically, there can be no marriage and no procreation to fill the Millennial Earth with descendants who will subsequently revolt against Jesus and be killed. Furthermore, there are passages that speak of both childbirth and death in the context of the Kingdom (Isa. 65:18-20). How can this be if all are in their glorified bodies? Historical Premillennialism, in my opinion, cannot provide satisfactory answers to these problems. Some Historic Premillennialists deny that the length of Christ's reign described in Revelation 20:1-6 (one thousand years) is to be taken at face value. Spokesmen on behalf of Historic Premillennialism include the late J. Barton Payne, the late George Eldon Ladd, Wayne Grudem, and Millard Erickson. Denver Seminary is a proponent of Historic Premillennialism. Craig L. Blomberg and Sung Wook Chung, both faculty members at Denver Seminary, co-edited A Case for Historic Premillennialism: An Alternative to "Left Behind" Eschatology. Dispensational Premillennialism. This return
of Jesus to reign on earth is to be distinguished from His
prior return to earth to retrieve His bride, the Church,
and take her to be with Him in heaven (the Rapture)
(John
14:1-3; 1 Thess. 4:13-18). When Jesus returns
to rule, He will administer His Millennial
Kingdom on this present sin-cursed earth from His
Davidic throne in Jerusalem, Israel. There He will rule over repentant,
believing Israel and also over all the nations of the earth with a rod
of iron (Psa.
2:8-9). Jesus' Millennial
Kingdom is to be distinguished from His
subsequent Eternal
Kingdom (Rev.
21:1 - 22:5) in which He will reign as Co-Regent with
His Father on their throne from New
Jerusalem, the future, eternal home
of both
Israel and the Church.
From there, assisted by His subjects, He will
administer throughout eternity a spiritual, political kingdom not only
over New
Jerusalem, but also over the nations inhabiting New
Earth. In
these two separate, yet linked phases of the Messiah's reign, God will
eternally fulfill His promises and His everlasting
covenants,
specifically, the Abrahamic
Covenant, the Davidic
Covenant, and the New
Covenant, all made initially with the descendants of Abraham,
Isaac,
and Jacob. By the grace of God, the nations ("Gentiles") of the earth
also partake of the eternal benefits of these Israeli covenants as
ancillary beneficiaries. The careful reader will note several
distinctives of Dispensational Premillennialism as understood by WordExplain:
1) A willingness
to take statements at face value in both the Old and New Testaments
(without denying the validity of symbolism and figures of
speech). 2) The principle of Testamental parity. While both Old and New Testament reveal contrasting ways (dispensations) in which God administers his kingdom with regard to the earth throughout the ages, each Testament must stand on its own two feet. The New Testament can add understanding to the Old, but it cannot and does not alter or abrogate it. Specifically, the arrival of the Church in the New Testament added light to God's promises to the patriarchs to bless all the families of the world through them, but it did not alter God's everlasting covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to plant their physical descendants in a specific piece of real estate as an everlasting possession. 3) A distinction between Israel and the Church. The Church is not spiritual Israel, and it does not inherit the promises made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the same way that believing Jewish people inherit them. 4) An understanding that Christ's return to earth will come in two stages. Jesus will first return for His Bride, the Church, in the event known as the Rapture. Subsequently He will return in power and glory to establish His Kingdom upon earth. 5) An acknowledgment that, although Jesus is presently enthroned as Messiah in heaven, His present status leaves unfulfilled many OT prophecies regarding His future reign as Messiah upon this present earth as well as upon the future New Earth. 6) An understanding that the term Messiah fundamentally necessitates a reign upon earth over the nation of Israel, not merely a spiritualized rule in absentia up in heaven. 7) An understanding that ruling as King has, historically, always included the consent of the governed. Faith has always been the necessary coin for a relationship with God (Gen. 15:5-6; Heb. 11:6). How can the King of the Jews be said to ruling when the vast majority of Jewish people deny His legitimacy? And how can Jesus be said to be ruling over the nations of the earth when the vast majority are in rebellion against Him? Proponents of Dispensational Premillennialism include: the late Lewis Sperry Chafer, the late C. I. Scofield, the late Alva J. McClain (see more on McClain), the late John Walvoord, J. Dwight Pentecost, Charles Ryrie, John S. Feinberg, and Michael J. Vlach. Dallas Theological Seminary is the best-known institutional proponent of Dispensational Premillennialism. (See also Dallas Theological Seminary.) For a much fuller discussion of these issues, go to Dispensational Premillennialism. Progressive Dispensationalism. A relatively recent development in dispensationalism that is, in my view, a compromise arising out of a dialogue between amillennialists and dispensationalists. Though progressive dispensationalists agree that there is a future Millennial Kingdom in which Christ reigns in the future, they assert that Jesus is presently sitting on David's throne in heaven. (See Craig A. Blaising and Darrell L. Bock, Progressive Dispensationalism, Baker Books, Grand Rapids, paperback edition, 2000, pp. 181-187.) This assertion blurs the distinction between Israel and the Church, and it relegates to heaven, albeit temporarily, the eternal kingdom that can only be consummated on the earth in connection with Jerusalem, whether on the present earth (during the Millennium) or in New Jerusalem (in connection with New Earth). "One of the striking differences between progressive and earlier dispensationalists, is that progressives do not view the church as an anthropological category in the same class as terms like Israel, Gentile Nations, Jews, and Gentile people" (Blaising and Bock, p. 49). According to Michael Vlach, What Is Dispensationalism, "Progressive dispensationalists see more continuity between Israel and the church than the other two variations within dispensationalism. They stress that both Israel and the church compose the 'people of God' and both are related to the blessings of the New Covenant." WordExplain agrees that Christ is presently reigning in heaven, but disagrees that Jesus is presently sitting on David's throne. If He is, why is the nation of Israel almost completely oblivious of the fact? Chief spokesmen for Progressive Dispensationalism are Craig Blaising, Darrell Bock, and Robert Saucy. Prophet. Someone who receives messages directly from God and communicates them to people. Prophets in the Old Testament include both non-writing prophets, such as Elijah and Elisha, and writing prophets, such as Moses, Samuel, David, Jeremiah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, and Ezekiel. There are certain phrases that often characterize a prophet’s writings. Frequently we read, “The word of the LORD came to” the prophet (1 Kings 18:1; Isa. 38:4; Jer. 1:1-4; Ezek. 1:3; Jonah 1:1; Hag. 1:1), or “Thus says the LORD”(Ex. 4:22; Josh. 24:2; 2 Sam. 12:7; Isa. 37:6; Jer. 2:1-2; Ezek. 2:1-4; Amos 1:1-3). In the New Testament, there were prophets such as Agabus (Acts 11:27-28; 21:10-11). The evangelist Philip had four virgin daughters who were prophetesses (Acts 21:8-9). Men like Matthew, John, Paul, and Peter were apostles of Christ as well as prophets (Eph. 2:20), and each of them wrote documents that are part of the New Testament. Luke wrote his gospel and his history under the tutelage of the Apostle Paul. Mark was associated with the Apostle Peter. Jesus, of course, is a prophet as well as a priest and a king. Some mistakenly believe that being able to predict the future is the distinguishing characteristic of a prophet. That is not really true. What makes a prophet a prophet is that he speaks on behalf of God messages which he receives directly from God. On the other hand, prophets frequently did predict the future because God wanted to communicate future events to readers of the Bible. But there was also a sign value to predictions. A prophet who could predict something in the future could be validated as a genuine prophet of God (Isa. 7:10-17; Matt. 1:18-23; Micah 5:2; Matt. 2:4-6). Teachers, as opposed to prophets, expound on prophecies given by prophets. In other words, teachers receive messages from God indirectly through prophets who have written Scripture. Prophets have zero margin for error. There can be no mistakes or inaccuracies in a Biblical prophet. To err in a statement or a prediction is to invalidate oneself as a prophet and be liable to be put to death (Deut. 18:20-22). Prophets have a sacred trust to convey accurately the words God has spoken. No Biblical prophet has ever spoken as an act of his own will. These holy men were moved by the Spirit of God and spoke from God (2 Pet. 1:20-21). If you have difficulty locating a file, please contact the Web Master. Updated April 19, 2010 Background and Button Image Credit |
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