Is Ckrist’s Return to be
“Pre” or "Post^-Millennial? A CA TECH ISM B? K. L. B.
world conversion is to be found in th e prophets and the “ restitu tio n ” of which they speak is th e resto ra tion of Israel to th e ir promised land, an event which is to accom pany th e second coming of Christ. Even if th e word “ restitu tio n ” be tak en to refer to a sp iritu al restitu tion, th ere are abundan t passages to show th a t th is restitu tio n is to be b rough t about not by the efforts of man bu t by the Lord Jesus Him self a t His coming. “W hen the Son of man cometh shall he find faith on th e e a rth ? ” 5. Is Christ’s second coming a gradual sp iritu al process, as some of th e post-m illennial school believe? It is everywhere in Scripture spoken- o f as a literal and very sudden event. The though t of His imm inent coming is used many times as a w arning to the un faith ful. The devil is not to lose his power gradually bu t is to continue to “ deceive the nation s” un til he is cast out a t the coming of Christ. 6 . Is Christ h ere already, working H im self o u t th ro u g h th e g re a t so cial movements, and eventually to m an ifest H im self by cortiplete r e in carn ation in all men, as some o th ers of th e post-m illennial school are now teaching? Christ is in heaven a t the rig h t hand of th e th rone of God and will th e re rem ain u n til He comes fo rth as th e B ridegroom to receive the w aiting Bride, the tru e church. 7. Is th e an ti-ch rist to come during th e m illennium ? Adm ittedly by all, he comes be fore. He is to come a t the culm in ation of the g rea t appstasy of the p resen t age and is to be “ destroyed by th e b righ tness of Christ’s com ing.” (2 Thes. 2 :8 ). Is the sec ond coming therefore before or af te r th e m illennium? 8 . Is th e G reat T ribu lation period which is to come upon th e ea rth , a p a rt of th e program of th e m illen n ium ? . f Adm ittedly by all, it is before the m illennium begins. Christ’s coming is to occur imm ediately
A CATECHISM. 1. W h at is th e difference between pre and post m illennialism ? P re-m illennialists believe the Scriptures teach th a t Christ is to re tu rn in the clouds of heaven at th e close of th e present evil age and th a t He H imself w ith H is ac- - companying angelic hosts will make th e separation between good and bad, afte r which He will personally reign as King th roughou t th e mil lennial age. The post-m illennialist believes all things are, during th e present age, moving irresistibly forw ard tow ard the golden age, and th a t man him self will, th rough th e ad vances of science, education and religious teaching succeed in p u rg ing th e ea rth and bringing about the m illennial age. Christ w ill not re tu rn un til th e close of th is per fect age. 2. D id th e Cord Jesu s expect th e world to be converted before H is re tu rn ? Mt. 13:30, 38-43, 48-50; 24:4- 31, 37-51; 25:1-13, 31-46; Mk. 13:5-27, 34-37; Lk. 12:35-48; 21:20-18. If Christ ta u g h t' th a t ju s t p rio r to His coming th ere should be troubles such as never were before as th e climax of an age filled w ith w ars and rum ors of wars, can His coming be a t the close of th e m illennium? 3. Did th e Apostles expect th e world to be in a converted sta te a t Christ’s second com ing? 1 Thes. 5:1-9; 2 Thes. 2:1-11; 1 Tim. 4 :1-3; 2 Tim. 3:1-14;, 4:1-4; Jas. 5 :1-8; 2 Pet. 2:1-8, 12-14; 3:1-15; 2 Jno. 7-9; Jud e 8-19, 24; Rev. 3:14-22 and th roughout. If Christ’s coming is to immediately follow an age of world perplexities and sp iritu al apostasy, can it be at th e close of th e m illennium? 4. Is th e re a verse in th e Bible which says th e world w ill be converted before th e L o rd 's re tu rn ? No. Acts 3:21 is often quoted, b u t the meaning of th is verse is lim ited by the words, “which God h a th spoken by the mouth of His holy prophets.” No prediction of
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