The atheist is right by Jim McGuiggan

https://web.archive.org/web/20160426063120/http://jimmcguiggan.com/nonbelievers2.asp?id=58

The atheist is right

Atheist Sam Harris is right, if we can just transform these Christian types into atheists, or at least into non-Christian and non-religious people, we could get government leaders who would further the best in medical research, who’d follow only peace and who would be serious in their attempts to shape the world for the better. There’s no doubt about it that the Christian faith (and its ancient parent, and midwife, OT faith) is and has always been humanity’s enemy. That's why, in a recent well-written Newsweek piece, he warns the world against Christian type voters and would like to produce a religionless world and government.

Sam is right, if we could just get rid of Christian voters and government leaders and get atheists, given time the world would become paradise. You only have to look at how those Christians, like Stalin and Pol Pot and Mao Tse Tung have affected the world to see how right Sam is. And you might remember what happened when Christian principles were sincerely followed in the Gulag of Russia and in the medical research done by that Christian guy, Josef Mengele, and his practicing Christian colleagues at Auschwitz. You can rest assured that if Stalin, Pol Pot, Mao and Mengele had been active atheists we’d have a different and more wonderful world right now.

Or am I missing something?

Looking For God? by Alfred Shannon Jr.

https://biblicalproof.wordpress.com/2011/07/page/2/

Looking For God?

Science, and evolutionist say there is no God. They say that man evolved over millions of years into what we are today. They say monkeys were our ancestors. They say this universe was created from a big bang. Far less than millions of years from now, these monkeys are going to be judged by this Big Bang, whose name is God Almighty, and He will say to them: Thou fool, your soul is required of you this day. You knew me not, therefore I never knew you. Depart from me, you workers of iniquity. If mankind is seriously looking for God, they only need to look to the heaven’s to see the glory of God, and to His holy Word, which created both heaven and earth. If you are looking for God, His Word is the right place.

Ps 14:1; Ps 53:1; Gen 1:1; Ps 8:3; Ps 19:1; Jn 1:3,10; Col 1:16; Rev 4:11; Lk 12:20; Jer 4:22; Jn 16:3;  Mt 7:23; 1 Cor 1:25-31; Ps 19:1; Ps 33:6; 2 Pet 3:5-7; Jer 29:13; Jn 5:39

Our Triune Being Part 1 by Ben Fronczek

http://granvillenychurchofchrist.org/?p=1430

Our Triune Nature (Part 1)

Our Triune Being       Part 1

Intro. How well do you think you know yourself? Like do you know why you do what you do? Do you know why you are happy, or why you are not happy or unfulfilled? OR why when you crave some things you can resist but there are other things you cannot?

How many of you think you know yourself REALLY well?   How about kind-ofwell? How many of you really don’t know why you do what you do?

I am beginning a new series of lessons today that I believe they will help you understand yourself a little bit better. And hopefully as you consider these teachings you will learn to have more control over what you do, decisions you make, and hopefully you will act more in line with what God wants for you, which will make you feel happier so you more peace of mind.

At times these sermons may seem more like Bible studies than sermons, but I believe what you will learn in these lesson can be life changing.

So let us begin.

Who are you?  A better question may be, ‘What are you?’

You are a triune being.   What do I mean by this?

Well, you are a spirit, you have a soul,  and at present you live in a body.

When you look at me there is a whole lot more to me than you can see with your eyes. And the same is true when I look at you, there is a whole lot more to your being than what I can see.

Unfortunately we have a very bad habit of basing our opinions and judging others, and deciding things about them based on what we see, or don’t see when we look at them. That’s not the best thing to do because there is more to see than what you can see with your eyes…. Because, we are a spirit, we have a soul, and at for now we just live in this body.

Turn to 1 Thessalonians 5:23 it says  “May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

 So first of all Paul’s prayers is that God Himself, that is the God of peace (that is the peace makers, the peace giver, the peace provider).. that He would…

“ sanctify you through and through.”  Do you know what it means ‘to sanctify’? Basically it means to set something apart for holy use, or set something apart for God’s service.  So Paul’s prayer is that God would sanctify you through and through (in other words, ‘all of your parts’ – thru and thru….   So that you will be more useful Him.

Then Paul goes on to mention these parts, “ May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

So basically he tells these Christians, ‘May your whole being, body, soul, and spirit be kept sanctified and kept blameless for God’s use until Jesus returns.’

Why remind his reader of this? Because if you think about it, each of us belong to God. We are His. You don’t belong to anyone else. The Bible tells us in 1 Corinthians 6:20 and 7:23, that we were bought at a price. We were redeemed or bought back by God with the blood of His son Jesus.

As a Christian, that is one who publically accepted Jesus and His perfect sacrifice for the salvation of our eternal soul, you have no right now to get up every day and do any and everything you want to do, or anything you feel like doing. We have been set apart (or sanctified by God) for His use. We should not be doing the unholy things that everybody else is doing in this evil world.

You have a destiny, a God given destiny now, and there are some things that our heavenly Father wants you to do, and also not do as His children.

In God’s plan, there are no mistakes, and He has a plan for you. You are not a mistake. As a matter of fact God had something in mind for you even before He knit you together in your mother’s womb.  (Ps 139:13-16)

“For you created my inmost being;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful,  I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you
    when I was made in the secret place,
    when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed body;
    all the days ordained for me were written in your book
    before one of them came to be.

So in 1 Thess. Paul wanted to remind those Christians that we are to use every part of our being, (our body, our soul, and our spirit) for God’s glory, for He has set apart these parts for His Holy use.

After He returned to the Father, Jesus sent ‘the Helper, His Holy Spirit to live inside believers to help us achieve this end.  He knew we would need help to become what He began to do in our spirit at the new birth, at our baptism. There we were set free and cleansed of our former sins and the Holy Spirit was sent into us to help us mature and become what we are meant to be, hopefully glorifying our Lord and becoming a blessing to others.

How many of you recognize that you were bought at a price by God? How many of you recognize that now as a sanctified believer you are not free to indulge in all the garbage of this world, that now you have been set apart for God’s holy use?

So Paul recognizes and mentions the three parts of our triune nature as being body, soul, and spirit. And by mentioning each part it seems as though he also recognized the importance of each individual part for God’s use.

As a Christian, I believe it is important to know and understand these parts of our own being a little better. Better because each part has a huge impact on our life and what we do with it. (for each part is different)

It is very hard for believers to walk in victory if they don’t understand and discern what is of the spirit, or of the soul and the body. Each part can pull us in a different direction (and not always in a positive direction).

It is important for us to learn how to discern the difference and learn to go more with our spirit and less with what our flesh and soul wants.

Why is that important for us? Because as Christians the Holy Spirit of God, which has indwelled us as believers does not interact with our flesh, nor with our soul, at least not directly. Rather, God’s spirit has made His home in us, that is in the place where our own spirit abides, because God Himself is a spirit.  (John 4:24)

And as God’s own Spirit interacts with our spirit, He teaches, He influences, He helps, He counsels, He prompts, and even convicts our own spirit.        And the more He does that and the more we listen to Him, the more it will influences our soul (that is our mind and emotion, where we want and think and feel). And eventually it will influence our flesh, and others will see fruit of that by how we act and by what we do.

Unfortunately most people have this all backwards, even Christians. We listen to the flesh and what it wants more than to the spirit which knows better.

The body of flesh says, ‘I want it, I need it, it feels good, it smells good, it tastes good, it pleases me and I want it now!’  It wants to be pleased, it wants to be pampered.

But the Bible teaches us to be careful and avoid doing what the body wants, desires, and craves.

Galatians 5:16 says “16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whateveryou want.”  

I hope that you are beginning to see where we are going with this and why there are so many unhappy, miserable Christians. It is because their flesh is screaming to do one thing and they give in to it, but their spirit who is wiser is telling them to do something completely different so there is no peace.

In Romans 7 the Apostle Paul wrote: ‘21 I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being (you could say his spirit) I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in me, (or in his flesh) waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!’

So there is this battle going on inside of us. Gal 5:17 said ‘the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit,’ But a little further down in Galatians 5:22f it says, “the fruit (or the byproduct) of the Spirit love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”

So this person who chooses to follow the spirit’s lead does not to give into their flesh’s whims every time it is tempted and desires something. Rather they hold back and listen to those gut feelings, what the spirit tells their conscious.

Not say that you will never be tempted, that lusts of the flesh are just going to disappear and go away. But rather verse 16 says that ‘if you walk in the Spirit’ (that is by the choices you make) then by making these right choices and choosing to go with the Spirit of God you won’t fulfill the desires or lusts of that sinful, fleshly, nature which is screaming at you and trying to get you to give in and get you in trouble.

Just because your flesh would love a big banana split followed by a huge piece of chocolate cake doesn’t mean you are going to eat that. Or just because you body would love to stay in bed, and sleep, and not go to work each day, you are going to do that. And just because the flesh would love to put a huge vacation on your charge card that you can not afford, doesn’t mean that you are going to do that.

Just because you like what someone else has, it doesn’t mean you are going to allow your body to go and steal it from them.

There are some good things that our spirit has taught our ‘mind of flesh’ or soul already, and the Spirit of God wants to take us further or deeper into God’s will for your life.

If you want, you can choose to control the flesh and resist certain things that you thought you could not. And likewise as a Christian you can take that even further because God guides and helps by His Holy Spirit. We don’t have to do what our flesh feels like doing or even what our mind of flesh is tempted to do.

Unfortunately more people give in and pay more attention to what the body wants, and craves, and what the ‘mind of flesh’  thinks or feels than what our spirit is trying to tell them, a spirit that is now guided by God, and knows best.

So in this series of lessons we are going to go deeper into this and I hope to help you understand the different parts of your being and how they can influence you. I pray that in doing so you will choose to sanctify those parts; each part of your being for God’s holy use.

I believe that if you learn to do this and learn to listen to and walk more in the spirit and act on it’s promptings, I believe you will be happier and the fruits of the Spirit that Paul talked about in Galatians 5 will become more evident in your life.

God is a God of peace and He wants to bless you with that peace, and sanctify you thru and thru, and that’s not going to happen of you keep ignoring Him and His divine guidance.    So what did we learn here today:

– #1 You are a spirit, you have a soul (that is a mind, your individual personality, it’s where you want, you think, and feel) and for now the Spirit and soul live in a body.

– #2 Because you belong to God, if you want to be happy and fulfilled in Him, & since He sanctified each of those parts for His holy use, we need to make some choices: a) to learn to listen to Him more b) and then do what He says.

– #3 As difficult as all this may sound right now, we need to remember that Jesus did not leave us without someone to help us do this. He has sent His own Spirit, His Holy Spirit into us at our baptism to help us grow and mature and become more like Him.  We have an awesome power within us and He is just waiting for us to hear and learn from Him, and do what He teaches us.

(Sermon series based on material produced by J. Myers)

For more lessons click on the following link: http://granvillenychurchofchrist.org/?page_id=566

All comments can be emailed to: bfronzek@gmail.com

A Tower to Touch the Sky by Trevor Bowen

http://insearchoftruth.org/articles/a_tower_to_touch_the_sky.html

A Tower to Touch the Sky

In our present age, unity seems a laughable goal to the cynical. Admittedly, division seems to surround us, both in our immediate circle of fellowship, but especially in the broader circle of all who take up Christ’s name. Passages that warn of division, even its necessity, quickly stamp out any dreams of long-term unity among all, who call themselves Christians (I John 2:18-19; Romans 16:17-18). But, does this mean that God has asked something of us, which cannot be achieved (Ephesians 4:1-6; Matthew 19:26)?

THE BASIS OF UNITY

Unity can be extremely powerful, but its goal is crucial to the success of a united effort. If we unite in error, then the failure of our striving is certain. This principle can be seen in the results of the construction of the Tower of Babel, which occurred near the dawn of civilization

"Now the whole earth had one language and one speech. ... And they said, 'Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.'"

"But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. And the LORD said, 'Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them.'" (Genesis 11:1-6)

Please note that the purpose of this tower was two-fold: It was built to make a name for themselves, for their own glory, and it was built to avoid being scattered over the earth. God had previously commanded this people to spread, multiply, and "fill the earth" (Genesis 9:1). Their intentions were to disobey a direct command. Moreover, their attitudes were in direct conflict with the humble spirit, which seeks God’s glory, not its own (I Peter 5:5-6). Consequently, God frustrated their efforts and fulfilled His own purpose by confusing their languages. The lesson is that if we seek to unite ourselves under a banner that is contrary to God’s will, we should not expect God’s approval; moreover, we should expect Him to move against us.

ONE LANGUAGE, ONE MIND

Another powerful point that we can glean from this Old Testament passage is that a common language is also essential to the success of a united effort. Once their languages were confused, the people quickly disbanded and scattered themselves. But, while they had one language and one mind, nothing would be withheld from them. In the New Testament, Paul notes this same principle:

"Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

... Now I say this, that each of you says, 'I am of Paul,' or 'I am of Apollos,' or 'I am of Cephas,' or 'I am of Christ.' Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?" (I Corinthians 1:10-13)

As having one mind and language empowered the children of Babel, not having one mind and being divided crippled the Corinthian church. The Corinthian church had divided into groups, which were named after men and built upon men. Paul points out two fundamental flaws in their "denominations". First, Christ is not divided against Himself, so why should His body be (Luke 11:17-18; Ephesians 1:22-23)? Second, the leader of a group must be able to save the group. If the men these groups followed were not their savior, and if they were not baptized in their name, then why were they dividing and wearing these men's names instead of the One in whose name alone is salvation (Acts 4:10-12)? If it was unacceptable and erroneous for the Corinthian church to be divided, wearing the names of men and following men, then will we be found acceptable before God if we divide into similar denominations today?

THE POTENTIAL OF UNITY

Finally, this passage from Genesis offers divine commentary on the potential of a united human effort. Regarding their effort, God said, Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them". What would happen if we learned the lesson of the tower of Babel? If we truly sought God’s will and His glory, unified upon a heavenly foundation, what would limit our achievements? Has not God already told us? You might say that not even the sky is a limit.

Please feel free to send the author of this article any questions, concerns, or feedback that you may have.

Author: Trevor Bowen

Truth! by EE Healy

http://www.eehealy.com/commentary/page11.shtml

Truth!

It sometimes seems that our time is very unique. That no other time in History has had such a mixture of events and pressures upon humanity. For us this is very true. This is our time. We will be remembered by the actions we take during our time.


If we go back in history we read about the good and bad that people did and endured. It is so important that we understand. The people and the times have changed. However, the attitude and actions of people do not change unless the people are willing to learn from history.


In history we can read about the corruption of every part of human life. We can review all the facts about what took place. But, unless we learn and work on making this time different our time will be viewed as a time that history repeated its mistakes, rather than a time when people changed the course of history.


One important consideration is that no matter where we are we are confronted with the truth or a lie. History time and time again teaches us the lesson that if we live a lie and practice a life of falsehood we will suffer the destruction of our society and humanity.


However, there is a prescription to solve this problem. It is Truth! Truth produces integrity. Integrity provides peace and growth in the human spirit. But, like any medicine it must be taken to produce a result. Sometimes we do not like the medicine because it may cost a lot or may taste bitter. The truth is that until we begin to take the medicine we can not begin to get better.


There is one truth that has stood the test of time. That truth is that God, Our Creator, loves us and has revealed His will (Truth) to us. We must decide freely if we will take the truth, apply it to our lives and grow in peace. Or, we can choose to continue to live in a lie, and suffer.


Every generation, every nation, every person must come to a point in which it is time to take the medicine or perish.


LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill? He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from his heart and has no slander on his tongue, who does his neighbor no wrong and casts no slur on his fellowman, who despises a vile man but honors those who fear the LORD, who keeps his oath even when it hurts, who lends his money without usury and does not accept a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things will never be shaken. Ps 15:1-5 (NIV)

Will There be a Millennium? by Dave Miller, Ph.D.

http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=11&article=1253

Will There be a Millennium?

by	Dave Miller, Ph.D.

Many within Christendom are preoccupied with dispensational theology, having embraced the premillennial framework that teaches a coming “rapture,” “tribulation,” “antichrist,” “Armageddon,” and “millennium.” The millennium refers to an alleged thousand-year reign of Christ on Earth in which He will establish a literal, physical kingdom, and rule from Jerusalem. Is a thousand-year reign of Christ on Earth taught in the Word of God? The reader is urged to consider the following observations.

In the first place, several contextual indicators within the book of Revelation militate against the application of the book’s contents to a yet-future time. For example, the events of the book of Revelation were to “shortly take place”—an expression that occurs near the beginning as well as near the end of the book (1:1; 22:6). “Shortly” (en tachei) meant quickly, at once, without delay, soon, in a short time (Arndt and Gingrich, 1957, p. 814). Moffatt gave the meaning as “soon” and noted: “The keynote of the Apocalypse is the cheering assurance that upon God’s part there is no reluctance or delay; His people have not long to wait now” (n.d., 5:335).

Other passages where the term is used, confirm that a brief length of time is intended—not merely the rapidity with which the designated events occur. Regarding those disciples who cry out to God night and day for His intervention, Jesus assured: “He will avenge them speedily (en tachei)” (Luke 18:8). What comfort would be afforded if Jesus intended to convey the idea that relief may be long delayed, but when it finally did come, it would come in a quick fashion? When Peter was asleep in prison, bound with two chains between two soldiers, and an angel awoke him by striking him on the side and instructed him to “arise quickly (en tachei)!” (Acts 12:7), would Peter have understood the angel to mean that he could continue resting or sleeping for as long as he chose, just as long as when he did get ready to get up, he came up off the prison floor with a rapid motion? When Festus insisted that Paul be detained in Caesarea rather than transferred to Jerusalem, since “he himself was going there shortly (en tachei)” (Acts 25:4), would anyone have understood him to mean that he may delay his visit to Caesarea by years? Paul even used the term in contradistinction with being “delayed” (1 Timothy 3:14-15; cf. White, n.d., 4:117). Additional occurrences of the expression further underscore the meaning of “soon” (Acts 10:33; 17:15; 22:18; Romans 16:20).

Another contextual indicator within Revelation itself is the occurrence of the phrase: “for the time is near” (1:3; 22:10). Thayer said “near” (eggus) refers to “things imminent and soon to come to pass” (1901, p. 164; cf. Arndt and Gingrich, p. 213). Such a reference would necessarily pertain to the first century—not the twenty-first. Two or three thousand years would be too late for the desperate Christians of Asia Minor (see Summers, 1951, p. 99). Those who get caught up in “millennium mania” seem oblivious to the fact that the book was written to an original, immediate audience. Revelation was, in fact, written to the seven churches of Christ situated in Asia Minor (1:4). All seven are even named (1:11)! If the book was written to them, and if it was their spiritual condition that was the concern of the book, millenarians are incorrect in their contention that the book is devoted primarily, if not exclusively, to predictions of the end times. Though the Old Testament prophets predicted future events on occasion, their primary message was relevant to their immediate audience. Dispensationalists have trouble finding in Revelation a relevant message for a first-century audience. The apostle John recognized their need, and identified himself as their “companion” in the terrible tribulation they were then enduring (1:9). Not only was this tribulation going on at that time, but John further referred to himself and his readers as being in the kingdom at that time (1:9). Thus, Christ’s kingdom was already set up, in existence on Earth, and in full operating mode.

In addition to these contextual indicators, there is the statement of the angel to John: “Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book” (Revelation 22:10). What did the angel mean? What he meant becomes apparent when one reflects upon the fact that Daniel was told to do the exact opposite of what John was told to do. After receiving a remarkable series of detailed prophecies, Daniel was told to “shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end” (Daniel 12:4, emp. added). Furthermore, he was instructed: “Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end” (vs. 9, emp. added). The reason Daniel was told to seal the book was because the fulfillment of the prophecies that had been revealed to him were hundreds of years off in the future—far from his own day. The predictions, therefore, would be of no immediate value to the initial recipients of the book. The book could be closed and placed on the shelf until those who would be living at the time of their fulfillment could appreciate the relevance of its predictions. In stark contrast, John was ordered: “Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book” (22:10, emp. added). Why? The text answers—“for the time is at hand”! These words can hold no other meaning than that the bulk of Revelation was fulfilled in close proximity to the time they were written.

Still another significant contextual detail pertains to the use of the impersonal verb “must”: “things which must shortly take place” (1:1). Greek grammarian Ray Summers explained:

The verb translated “it is necessary’ or “must”…indicates that a moral necessity is involved; the nature of the case is such that the things revealed here must come to pass shortly…. The things revealed here must happen shortly, or the cause will be lost…. They were in need of assurance of help in the immediate present—not in some millennium of the distant and uncertain future (p. 99, emp. in orig.).

Indeed, the downtrodden, persecuted Christians of Asia Minor needed assistance right away. The dispensational framework would rob those first-century saints of the very comfort and reassurance they so desperately needed, deserved—and received!

One additional contextual feature is the use of the term “signified”: “And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John” (1:1). This term, as is evident from the English translation, means “to show by signs” (Vincent, 1890, 2:564; Summers, p. 99). The term, along with the Greek word translated “revelation” (apocalupsis), introduces the nature of this book. The book of Revelation reveals or unveils God’s message through signs or symbols. Placing a literal interpretation on the numbers, animals, objects, colors, and locations of Revelation—as dispensationalists routinely try to do—does violence to the true intent of the book. John’s Revelation declares itself to be a book of symbols, filled with figurative language, and not intended to be taken literally. In fact, as Swete observed, “much of the imagery of the Apocalypse is doubtless not symbolism, but merely designed to heighten the colouring of the great picture, and to add vividness and movement to its scenes” (1911, p. cxxxiii). A genuine recognition of this realization of this self-declared feature of the book excludes a literal interpretation of the number one thousand.

In addition to these preliminary contextual details (which are sufficient of themselves to dismiss the dispensationalism scheme from the book), chapter twenty contains specific features that assist the interpreter in pinpointing the meaning of the symbol of a “thousand-year reign.” It is surely noteworthy that in the entire Bible, the only allusion to a so-called thousand-year reign is Revelation 20:4,6—a fact that is conceded even by dispensationalists (e.g., Ladd, 1972, p. 267; Mounce, 1977, pp. 356-357). Yet an entire belief system has been built upon such scanty evidence. An examination of the setting and context yields surprising results. For example, a simple reading of the immediate context reveals that the theme of Revelation 20 is not “the thousand-year reign of Christ.” Rather, it is “victory over Satan.” Each of the symbols presents concepts that, when put together, relieve the fears of oppressed first-century Christians regarding their outcome. The key, abyss, and chain (vs. 1) are apocalyptic symbols for the effective limitation or containment of Satan in his ability to deceive the nations in the specific matter of emperor worship enforced by the government (see Swete, 1911, pp. xxxi, civ-cv). The symbol of one thousand years (vss. 2-7) is a high multiple of ten, representing ultimate completeness (see Summers, p. 23). John’s readers thus could know that the devil was to be completely restrained from deceiving the nations into worshipping the emperor. The thousand years symbolized the extended triumph of God’s kingdom on Earth over the devil, who was then operating through the persecuting powers of Rome. A thousand symbolic years of victory would lesson suffering in the minds of persecuted Christians.

“Loosing for a little season” (vs. 3) would have represented the revival of persecution under later emperors. “Thrones” (vs. 4) represented the victorious power of the oppressed. The persecuted saints were pictured on thrones, judging because of the victory of their cause. “Souls” (vs. 4)—not resurrected bodies, but disembodied spirits—represent those who were martyrs of the persecution. Their refusal to “receive the mark” meant they refused to worship Caesar, or to manifest those marks that would identify them as adherents of the false state religion of emperor worship. The “first resurrection” (vs. 5) referred to the triumphant resurrection of the cause for which the Christians of Revelation 20:4 had lived and died. Gog and Magog were symbolic of the enemies of God and Christ, the imagery drawn from Ezekiel 38 and 39. The “beloved city” (vs. 9) is an unmistakable reference to spiritual Israel, the church (John 4:20-21; Galatians 6:16).

Some allowance may be granted in the interpretation of these highly figurative symbols, without doing damage to other Bible doctrines, or reflecting adversely upon the Gospel system and the broader will of Deity. However, the thousand years must not be perceived as a yet-future period. There is simply no biblical support for doing so. The figure represents an important concept for those to whom it was first directed. It has meaning for people living today only in that context. There will be no one thousand-year reign of Jesus Christ on Earth.

REFERENCES

Arndt, William and F.W. Gingrich (1957), A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press).

Ladd, George E. (1972), A Commentary on the Revelation of John (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans).

Moffatt, James (no date), “The Revelation of St. John the Divine,” ed. Nicoll, W. Robertson, The Expositor’s Greek Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans).

Mounce, Robert (1977), The Book of Revelation (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans).

Summers, Ray (1951), Worthy is the Lamb (Nashville, TN: Broadman Press).

Swete, Henry B. (1911), Commentary on Revelation (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel, 1977 reprint).

Thayer, Joseph H. (1901), A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 1977 reprint).

Vincent, M.R. (1890), Word Studies in the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1946 reprint).

White, Newport (no date), “The First and Second Epistles to Timothy,” The Expositor’s Greek Testament, ed. W. Robertson Nicoll, (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans).

Will There be an "Antichrist"? by Dave Miller, Ph.D.

http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=11&article=1209

Will There be an "Antichrist"?

by	Dave Miller, Ph.D.

The long history of failed attempts to identify the so-called “Antichrist” would be humorous if it were not so tragic. Candidates for this personage have included Nero, Napoleon, Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, Kruschev, and Saddam Hussein. The “mark of the beast” that the Antichrist allegedly causes people to receive has been associated with social security numbers, UPC barcodes, WWW—the World Wide Web, and even the IRS (a much more tempting postulation, to be sure). These endless shenanigans could be avoided if the Bible were taken seriously and impure motives were replaced by an honest pursuit of truth.

As a matter of fact, the term “antichrist” occurs only five times in Scripture, only in the writing of John, and only in two of his five books: 1 John 2:18,22; 4:3; 2 John 7. The implications are significant. Dispensationalists do not go to 1 and 2 John when they discuss the Antichrist. They go to Revelation, or 2 Thessalonians, or Daniel. They go to passages that do not even use the word Antichrist!

Contrary to current claims, John applied the term “antichrist” to more than one individual, and to individuals who were living then—in the first century! For example, 1 John 2:18 states that numerous antichrists had arisen in John’s day, and he therefore contended that “it is the last hour” (i.e., the final period of religious history commonly referred to as “the last days,” as in Acts 2:16-17). He then described their behavior as “not of God” (1 John 4:3). “Antichrists” were simply anyone who denied Christ (1 John 2:22). John, therefore, labeled any such deluded soul as “the deceiver” and “the antichrist” (2 John 7). Notice the use of the article. John was saying that people living in his own day who denied the incarnation of Jesus were to be regarded as the antichrist! Not just an antichrist—but the antichrist! The idea that the term “antichrist” is to be applied to some “future fuehrer” (Lindsey, 1970, pp. 87ff.) who will draw the world into a global holocaust is totally out of harmony with John’s inspired use of the term.

The primary passage that is used to support the notion of an antichrist is Revelation 13:1-10. Several points regarding the context of the book of Revelation and its proper interpretation lead to the understanding that the seven-headed sea beast was a symbol for the then monstrous emperor of Rome who was responsible for unleashing horrible atrocities upon Christians of Asia Minor in the latter years of the first century A.D. (Summers, 1951, pp. 174-175; Swete, 1911, pp. 161ff.). The two-horned land beast (Revelation 13:11-18), who enforced worship of the sea beast, referred to the official governmental organization known as the Roman Concilia that was responsible for supporting and regulating all details relative to emperor worship (Summers, pp. 178-179; Swete, pp. 168ff.). This evil legal entity was authorized to instigate economic sanctions against those who refused to appropriate the “mark” of the beast, “mark” being a symbol for the proof of their submission to Caesar worship (vs. 17). With this understanding of Revelation 13, it is unscriptural and unbiblical to identify the sea beast in Revelation 13 with some future revived Roman dictator known as the “Antichrist.”

A second passage that some say predicts an Antichrist is Daniel 9:24-27. Notice carefully the content of this marvelous prophecy. During the prophetic period that Daniel identified in terms of seventy symbolic weeks (vs. 24), transgression, sin, and iniquity would be “finished,” “ended,” and “reconciliation provided for.” This terminology clearly refers to Christ’s sacrifice upon the cross (Hebrews 9:26). The effect of Christ’s atoning work was that “everlasting righteousness” was ushered in. As Paul stated: “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21; cf. Jeremiah 23:5-6). Because of what Jesus did, individuals may now stand before God completely righteous through obedient faith. Likewise, “vision” and “prophecy” would be “sealed up.” This refers to the inevitable termination of Old Testament prophecy and its fulfillment in Christ’s appearance in human history: “Yes, and all the prophets from Samuel and those who follow, as many as have spoken, have also foretold these days” (Acts 3:24; Hebrews 1:1-2). Finally, the phrase in Daniel 9:24 that speaks of the “anointing” of the “most holy” refers to the public ministry and official crowning of Jesus as He took His place upon His throne to rule in His kingdom. Isaiah said: “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor” (61:1). On the day of Pentecost, Peter said: “Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God” (Acts 2:33). Notice that Daniel summarized the entire seventy-week period by including all of these six factors in the seventy weeks.

Next, Daniel broke the seventy-week period into three segments: seven weeks, sixty-two weeks, and one week. Verse 25 pertains to the first two sections of the seventy-week period. During these two periods, that is during sixty-nine of the seventy prophetic weeks, a decree would go forth calling for the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the reconstruction of the temple that had been destroyed by the Babylonians (cf. Nehemiah 2:7-8; Ezra 1:1-3). Daniel made clear that these sixty-nine weeks of the prophetic period, during which the temple would be rebuilt and national Israel reestablished, would take one up to the appearance of the Messiah.

Verse 26 speaks of the final week of the seventy week prophetic period, for he said “after the sixty-two weeks.” “After” puts one into the final or seventieth week of Daniel’s remarks. Two significant events were to occur during this final week. First, the Messiah would be “cut off.” This definitely refers to Jesus’ death upon the cross: “He was cut off from the land of the living” (Isaiah 53:8). Second, a “prince” and his people would come and destroy the city and the sanctuary—an obvious allusion to the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple edifice in A.D. 70 by Titus and his Roman army.

Verse 27 alludes to the activation of the new covenant between the Messiah and “many,” that is, between Christ and those who are responsive to the demands of the new covenant. As the Hebrews writer said: “Behold the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah” (8:8; cf. Acts 3:25). The New Testament teaches that the cutting off of the Messiah, the crucifixion, was the act that confirmed the covenant (Matthew 26:28; Hebrews 9:15-29), and brought an immediate end to the validity of the Old Testament practices of sacrifice and oblation (Colossians 2:14; Luke 23:45; Hebrews 10:18-20). Then Daniel alluded to the ruthless invasion of Jerusalem in the phrase “abomination of desolation.” Jesus quoted this phrase in Matthew 24:15 and Luke 21:20, and applied it to the Roman desecration and destruction of the Jerusalem temple in A.D. 70.

Thus, the fundamental purpose of Daniel’s seventy-weeks prophecy was to show God’s final and complete decree concerning the Israelite commonwealth. All of the events described in the prophecy were literally fulfilled over 1,900 years ago. As far as God is concerned, the logical end of the Old Testament and Judaism has occurred. Now He deals only with the spiritual children of Abraham, whether Jew or Gentile (Romans 4:11-12,16; 9:8). Daniel 9 gives no credence to the notion of a future Antichrist.

A third passage used to foster belief in an Antichrist is 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12. Whatever interpretation is placed upon this passage, its use to refer to a future personage is doomed to failure since Paul explicitly stated that he was referring to a person who would be the product of the circumstances of his own day, i.e., “already at work” (vs. 7). How could Paul have had in mind a future dictator that still has not arisen, though 2,000 years have transpired? One need go no further to know that 2 Thessalonians 2 does not refer to a future Antichrist.

History is replete with a variety of interpretations of this passage, the most prominent one likely being the view that the papacy is under consideration (see Workman, 1988, pp. 428-434; Eadie, 1877, pp. 340ff.). Another possibility is that the “falling away” (vs. 3), or apostasy, referred to the Jewish rejection of the “new and living way” of approach to God (Hebrews 10:20). The Jews were the single most adamant opponents to Christ and the infant church (John 8:37-44; Acts 7:51-53; 13:45-50; Romans 10:20-21; 11:7; 1 Thessalonians 2:14-16). This rebellion, or falling away, would not reach its “full” (Matthew 23:32) climax until the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, and the resulting dispersal of the Jewish people. Paul had already alluded to this Jewish apostasy in 1 Thessalonians 2:15-16. The pouring out of God’s wrath was the logical consequence of the first century Israelite failure to make the change to Christianity.

The “man of sin” or “son of perdition” (vs. 3) would have referred to the personification of Roman imperialism, and would have been equated with “the abomination of desolation” that Jesus, quoting Daniel 9, alluded to in Matthew 24:15 and Luke 21:20. Verse 4 would refer to the Roman general who introduced his idolatrous insignia into the Holy of Holies in A.D. 70.

That which was “withholding” (vs. 6), or restraining, this man of sin, at the time Paul was writing 2 Thessalonians in approximately A.D. 53, would have been the presence of the Jewish state. The ingenious design of God was that Christianity would appear to the hostile Roman government to be nothing more than another sect of the Jews. Thus Christianity was shielded for the moment (i.e., A.D. 30-70) from the fury of the persecuting forces of Rome, while it developed, spread, and gave the Jews ample opportunity to be incorporated into the elect remnant—the church of Christ (cf. Romans 11:26). Thus the nation of Israel was rendered totally without excuse in its rejection of Christianity, while at the same time serving as a restraining force by preventing Christianity from being perceived by the Romans as a separate, and therefore illegal, religion (religio illicita). Once the Jewish apostasy was complete, and God’s wrath was poured out upon Jerusalem, Christianity came to be seen as a distinct religion from Judaism. Increasingly, Christians found themselves brought into conflict with the persecution from “the wicked” or “lawless one” (vs. 8). In fact, after A.D. 70 (when the withholding effect of Judaism was removed), Roman opposition to Christianity gradually grew greater, culminating in the fierce and formidable persecution imposed by Caesar Domitian in the final decade of the first century.

Once the shield of Judaism was “taken out of the way” (vs. 7), and Christianity increasingly found itself subject to the indignities of governmental disfavor, the Lord was to come and “consume with the breath of His mouth” (vs. 8) the one who was responsible. This terminology is not an allusion to Christ’s Second Coming. Rather this verse refers to Christ’s coming in judgment on the Roman power. Such a use of the word “coming” to describe the display of God’s wrath upon people in history is not unusual (cf. Isaiah 19:1; Micah 1:3). Paul alluded to the government’s use of counterfeit miracles (vs. 9), and thus deceit (vs. 10)—reminiscent of the Roman Concilia’s employment of trickery and illusion to deceive people into worshipping the emperor in Revelation 13:13-15 during the last decade of the first century A.D. (see Barclay, 1960, 2:127-128; Hailey, 1979, pp. 294-295; Summers, 1951, pp. 178-179). Sufficient textual indicators exist in this passage to exclude the premillennial interpretation of a future “Antichrist.”

When studied in context, the passages that are used to bolster the dispensational scheme provide no such support. Those over the centuries who have applied these passages to papal authority, Napoleon, Mussolini, Hitler, Saddam Hussein, et al., have been shown to be wrong. Amazingly, the pattern continues among those who have not learned from the sad mistakes of the past.

REFERENCES

Barclay, William (1960), The Revelation of John (Philadelphia, PA: Westminster).

Eadie, John (1877), Commentary on the Epistles to the Thessalonians (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 1979 reprint).

Hailey, Homer (1979), Revelation (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker).

Summers, Ray (1951), Worthy Is the Lamb (Nashville, TN: Broadman).

Swete, Henry (1911), Commentary on Revelation (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel, 1977 reprint).

Workman, Gary (1988), Studies in 1 and 2 Thessalonians and Philemon (Denton, TX: Valid Publications).