Transcript Sixteen Fundamental Truths

• Exposition by Dr. Randy Colver. Copyright ©
2006.
• Graphics developed by Cathy Garland.
• Each of the Sixteen Fundamental Doctrines will
be introduced and quoted. Each quote will be
highlighted in red font in the text.
• Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW
INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®.
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International
Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan
Publishing House. All rights reserved.
The AG Statement of Fundamental Truths
states:
• The resurrection of those who have fallen
asleep in Christ and their translation
together with those who are alive and
remain unto the coming of the Lord is the
imminent and blessed hope of the Church
(1 Thessalonians 4:16-17; Romans 8:23;
Titus 2:13; 1 Corinthians 15:51-52).
• The Blessed Hope of all Christians is the
return of Jesus Christ for His Church:
“I saw heaven standing open and there
before me was a white horse, whose
rider is called Faithful and True. With
justice he judges and makes war. His
eyes are like blazing fire, and on his
head are many crowns.”
“He has a name written on him that no one
knows but he himself. He is dressed in a
robe dipped in blood, and his name is the
Word of God. The armies of heaven were
following him, riding on white horses and
dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Out
of his mouth comes a sharp sword with
which to strike down the nations. ‘He will
rule them with an iron scepter.’”
“He treads the winepress of the fury of the
wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and
on his thigh he has this name written:
KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF
LORDS.”—Rev. 19:11-16
•
The Bible uses three key words when
talking about the return of Christ:
• His coming or arrival – “parousia”
• “We that are alive, that are left unto the
parousia of the Lord…”
—1 Thess. 4:15-17
• “…so shall be the parousia of the Son
of Man.”—Mt. 24:27
• His manifestation – “epiphaneia”
• The Antichrist will be destroyed “…by
the epipaneia of His parousia.”
—2 Thess. 2:8
• His revelation – “apokalypsis”
• “…rest with us, at the apokalypsis of
the Lord Jesus Christ from heaven.”
—2 Thess. 1:6-7 (cf. 1 Cor. 1:7)
• The Bible says some important things
about Christ’s coming:
• He will return bodily, in the same
manner as He left (Acts 1:11; cf. Lk.
24:39; 1 Cor. 15:44).
• He will return suddenly (Mt. 24:32-51;
Mk. 13:33-37).
• He will return in glory with His angels
(Mt. 16:27; 19:28).
• “Apart from His glorious return, God’s
work will forever be incomplete. At the
center of redemption past is Christ on the
cross; at the center of redemption future is
Christ returning in glory” (Ladd 6).
• “The sorrows of a world blighted by sin,
marred by war, crushed by enmity, will be
terminated by the advent of the Prince of
Peace” (Menzies 214).
•
•
•
There are several other important concepts to
understand regarding the Second Coming of
Christ.
To begin with, Christians recognize that time is
linear; there was a beginning (Ge. 1:1) and there
will be an end (1 Cor. 15:24).
The end will come with the return of Christ and
the events surrounding God’s final judgment,
called the Great Day of the Lord.
• The prophets termed the future time of
God’s judgment as “that day,” or “the
great Day of the Lord” (Is. 13:6-13; Zeph.
1:14-15; cf. Rev. 16:14).
• “That day” will bring catastrophic
visitation to the cosmos, judgment on the
enemies of God (Jude 6; Rev. 19:19-21),
and victory and blessing for His people
(Mt. 25:46; 1 Cor. 15:51-54).
• “That day” will also bring about the New
Creation of God (Is. 34:4; Zeph. 1:2; Rev.
20:11) and the union of heaven and earth
(Rev. 21:1-5).
• The Day of the Lord ultimately occurs
with the events surrounding the Second
Coming of Christ.
• We should note that the events of “that
day” are not confined to a twenty-four
hour period, but actually occur over an
extended period of time.
• “That day” will be characterized by:
• Restoration – Is. 27:13
• Salvation – Is. 25:9
• Holiness, Joy, and Security –
Zeph. 3:11ff
• Visitation of the servant of the Lord –
Hag. 2:23
• “That day” will also be characterized by:
• Rebuilding of the Temple – Zech. 4:9
• Power of the Spirit – Zech. 4:6
• A Spring of Water from the House of
the Lord – Joel 3:18
• Resurrection – Lk. 20:35; Jn. 11:24
• “That day” will also be characterized by
catastrophic signs in nature:
• Darkness – Amos 5:18, 20
• Changes to the Sun and Moon – Joel
2:10, 31
• Whirlwinds and Storms – Ezek. 38:22
• Earthquakes – Joel 2:10
• Thus, this “present evil age” (Gal. 1:4) will
come to an end and the age to come will
begin at the Day of the Lord (1 Cor. 15:2326).
• “All the sweep of redemptive history is
divided into two ages separated by the Day
of the Lord” (Ladd).
The Day of the
Lord/
Return of the Lord
This Age
Death
The Age to Come
Eternal Life
• That day will not come until a great
apostasy takes place, the “man of
lawlessness is revealed, and the Lord
returns” (2 Thess. 2:2-3).
• The final Day of the Lord is the Day of the
Lord Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 1:8; 5:5; 2 Cor.
1:14; Phil. 1:16)!
• “But the day of the Lord will come like a
thief. The heavens will disappear with a
roar; the elements will be destroyed by
fire, and the earth and everything in it will
be laid bare. Since everything will be
destroyed in this way, what kind of people
ought you to be?”—2 Pt. 3:10-11
• Peter is reminding us that what we believe
about the future—about the Return of
Christ and the Final Judgment—affects
how we live today.
• Moreover, because Christ’s resurrection
guarantees our future resurrection (1 Cor.
15:20-26), we need not fear death (Heb.
2:14-15).
• Our resurrection will be like His
resurrection.
• This means that there is both continuity
and discontinuity with who we are
presently and who we shall be at the
resurrection.
• For example, we remain the same person
and we will be raised bodily, but we will
be transformed.
• “So will it be with the resurrection of the
dead. The body that is sown is perishable,
it is raised imperishable; it is sown in
dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in
weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown
a natural body, it is raised a spiritual
body.”—1 Co 15:42-44
• In addition, there is a sense where we can
share in the resurrection power of the Lord
now (Phil. 3:10-11).
• Paul declared, “But Christ has indeed been
raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those
who have fallen asleep.”—1 Cor. 15:20
• “The first fruits was the actual beginning
of the harvest which was offered in
sacrifice to God for granting a new
harvest.
• “It was not hope; it was not promise; it
was the actual beginning of the harvest,
which was immediately followed by the
full harvest” (Ladd, Last Things 79).
• Thus, Paul could use all three tenses—
past, present, and future—for salvation:
“we were saved” (Ro. 8:24), we “are being
saved” (1 Cor. 15:2), and we “shall be
saved” (Ro. 5:9).
• Unfortunately, for those who are “in
Christ,” this means that we live partly in
the old age and partly in the new.
• We are in a sense living between the times.
• This is illustrated in the following
diagrams:
Old and New Ages
Death, Burial,
Resurrection
Old Age
1 Cor. 2:6-8
Second
Coming
Overlapping
Ages
New Age
Inaugurated
Mt. 4:17
New Age
1 Cor. 15:24-26
Rev. 21:1-5
New Age
Consummated,
Old Age Ends
“This Age” and “That Age”
Lk. 20:34-35; Eph. 1:21
Old and New Ages
Now
Old Age
Not Yet
Overlapping
Ages:
“Last Days”
Tension
New Age
Old and New Ages
Old Age
Overlapping
Ages
Now
New Age
“…now is the time of God’s favor,
now is the day of salvation.”
2 Cor. 6:2
We live by the Spirit NOW (Gal. 5:16). As the down payment on what is to
come (2 Cor. 1:21-22; 5:5; Eph. 1:14), the Holy Spirit:
• Helps us in our weakness (Ro. 8:26 ).
• Takes from what is Christ’s and makes it known to us (Jn. 16:14).
• Helps us understand God’s promises (1 Cor. 2:12).
• Strengthens us (Eph. 3:16-19).
• Gives us wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Christ (Eph. 1:19).
• Helps us testify (Jn. 16:7-11).
Old and New Ages
Old Age
Overlapping
Ages
New Age
Now
We can enjoy the future NOW.
• We are new creations in Christ Jesus (2 Cor. 5:17; Gal. 6:15).
• We have already tasted of the powers of the age to come (He. 6:4-6).
• We are already citizens of heaven (He. 12:18-24).
• We are seated in heavenly places (Eph. 2:6; Col. 3:1-4).
• We already feast with and on Christ, as a foretaste of the Marriage
Supper of the Lamb (1 Cor. 10:16; Rev. 19:7).
• However, we must balance what we have
now with what we do not yet have.
Old and New Ages
Old Age
Overlapping
Ages
New Age
Not
Yet
NOT YET do we see the future in its fullness.
• We have not yet become imperishable or immortal (1 Cor. 15:53).
• We have not yet received our entire inheritance (Eph. 1:14).
• We are not yet perfect or have full knowledge (1 Cor. 13:9-12).
• We get sick and are not always healed (1 Cor. 11:30; 2 Tim. 4:20).
• Our God has moved from creation to New
Creation through the redemption in Christ
Jesus!
• We will see the final consummation of all
His work at His Second Coming.
• Come Lord Jesus!
The AG Statement of Fundamental Truths
states:
• The second coming of Christ includes the
rapture of the saints, which is our blessed
hope, followed by the visible return of
Christ with His saints to reign on the earth
for one thousand years (Zechariah 14:5;
Matthew 24:27, 30; Revelation 1:7; 19:1114; 20:1-6).
• This millennial reign will bring the
salvation of national Israel (Ezekiel 37:2122; Zephaniah 3:19-20; Romans 11:26-27)
and the establishment of universal peace
(Isaiah 11:6-9; Psalm 72:3-8; Micah 4:3-4).
• The word “millennium” (Rev. 20:1-3)
comes from the Latin term meaning one
thousand years. It derives from the root
words mille, meaning thousand, and annum,
meaning years.
• One’s views of eschatology are built around
one’s views of the millennium.
• There are three major views of the
millennium:
• Postmillennialism
• Amillennialism
• Premillennialism
• We will discuss the first two briefly, and
then concentrate on the Premillennial view,
which is the view held by most in the
Assemblies of God.
• Although the return of Christ is a core
doctrine, we must not be dogmatic
regarding specific details, and show a
gracious respect for those who disagree.
• Postmillennialism is the view that the
millennium is a future golden age of the
Church that will precede the second advent
of Christ.
• Christ will return “post” or after this golden
age (the millennium).
• Theologians such as Jonathan Edwards and
revivalists such as Charles Finney
optimistically anticipated a continually
expanding kingdom subsuming all wicked
areas of society with the gospel of Christ
until a millennial reign would be brought
about.
• This is illustrated in the following diagram:
Second Coming and
Final Judgment
First Coming
Church Age Becomes the “Millennium”
Morality Gets Better
Postmillennialism
“Optimistic View”
Eternity –
Eternal
States
• Those who hold to the Amillennial view of
eschatology interpret the millennium figuratively
and believe that the Church age—the period we
are now in—is the millennium.
• They believe the millennium began with the reign
of Christ (Revelation 20:4)—when Christ
instituted the kingdom by His death, resurrection,
and ascension to the throne of David (i.e., the
Church Age; cf. Acts 2:30-32).
• In other words, they don’t believe in a
future, literal millennium.
• “The difference between this view and
postmillennialism is that the reign of Christ
through His Church does not transform the
secular political order so that it becomes the
Kingdom of God” (Ladd).
• Augustine and the Reformation Fathers held
this view.
Second Coming and
Final Judgment
First Coming
Church Age “Millennium”
Morality Worsens
Amillennialism
“Heavenly Reign View”
Eternity –
Eternal
States
• Unlike Postmillennialists and
Amillennialists, Premillennialists interpret
the millennium literally, and believe that
Christ will return before the thousand year
reign (millennium).
• This is illustrated in the following diagram:
First
Coming
Second
Coming
Church Age
Final
Judgment
Millennium
Morality Worsens
Premillennialism
“Earthly Reign” View
Eternity –
Eternal
States
• There are two major Premillennial views,
and they have to do with how you view the
tribulation.
• The Great Tribulation is a period of intense
suffering at the end of this age, just before
the millennium.
• The Book of Revelation states, “These are
they who have come out of the great
tribulation…” (Rev. 7:14; cf. Mk. 13:2227).
• The first view we will discuss is called
Dispensational Premillennialism, which
sees the Great Tribulation after a secret
coming of Christ and the rapture of the
Church.
• The second is called Historic
Premillennialism, which sees the rapture
and the Second Coming as happening
simultaneously after the Great Tribulation.
• Dispensational Premillennialism = Secret
Coming and rapture of the Church then the
Great Tribulation then the Second Coming
= Pretribulational view.
• Historic Premillennialism = Great
Tribulation then the rapture and the Second
Coming = Posttribulational view.
• In the late 1800s, Dispensational Premillennialism
spread from the Plymouth Brethren in Britain to
the U.S. through the Scofield Reference Bible and
popular Bible institutes.
• Unlike Historic Premillennialists,
dispensationalists believe that God will not deal
with the Jews and Gentiles concurrently, but that
the Gentile Christians will be removed through a
“secret rapture” before the tribulation.
• Because this rapture will remove the
Christians before the Great Tribulation,
Dispensational Premillennialists are pretribulationalists.
• This is illustrated in the following diagram:
Rapture
First Coming
Second
Coming
Final
Judgment
7-Year
Tribulation
Church Age
Millennium
Eternity –
Eternal
States
Morality Worsens
Dispensational Premillennialism
“Secret Rapture” View
• The Dispensational Premillennial view has
the advantage of removing the Church from
the outpouring of God’s wrath in the Great
Tribulation.
• Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 5:9, “For
God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but
to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus
Christ.”
• It also has the advantage of interpreting the
Old Testament Scriptures about God’s
promises for Israel in a literal sense.
• They thus believe that a number of
unfulfilled prophecies concerning Israel will
be fulfilled in a “Jewish” millennium.
• In contrast, those who hold to the Historic
Premillennial view believe that the Church
will go through the Great Tribulation
period.
• We call those who interpret the end times
events this way “post-tribulationists”
because they believe the return of Christ
comes “post,” or after the tribulation.
• Historic Premillennialists believe that the
Antichrist will appear, the resurrection of
the just will take place at Christ’s return,
and that Christians will then reign with Him
for a thousand years in a New Jerusalem on
earth.
• Unlike Dispensational Premillennialists,
Historic Premillennialists believe the
Rapture takes place at the Second Coming,
not at a previous Secret Coming.
• This is illustrated in the following diagram:
First
Coming
Second
Coming
Final
Judgment
3½ or
7-Year
Tribulation
Church Age
Millennium
Morality Worsens
Historic Premillennialism
“Earthly Reign” View
Eternity –
Eternal States
• The Early Church fathers, such as Justin
Martyr and Irenaeus, followed the Historic
Premillennial view (Ladd, Blessed Hope 1934).
• This view has the advantage of interpreting
the End Time Scriptures very simply and
does not have to add a Secret Coming of
Christ for the Church.
• As to the question of the Church going
through tribulation, Historic
Premillennialists answer that God is more
than able to protect the Church as He did
the Israelites in Egypt when He poured out
His wrath on that nation.
• Further, New Testament authors sometimes
applied Old Testament prophesies about
Israel to the Church (cf. Jer. 31:31-34; He.
8:7-13.)
• Historic Premillennialists find it
“inconceivable that God’s redemptive plan
will revert to the age of shadows” (Ladd,
Last Things 25) during the millennium.
• Finally, we should take a closer look at the
“rapture” verse, 1 Thessalonians 4:17:
• “After that, we who are still alive and are
left will be caught up together with them in
the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And
so we will be with the Lord forever.”
• The word “meet” is the Greek word
“apantesis” and meant to greet someone in
the process of escorting them back.
• We find this same use of the word in Mt.
25:6 and Acts 28:15-16.
• Thus, Historic Premillennialists believe that
“Christ will return, and the righteous dead
will be resurrected to meet Him, followed
by the believers who are yet alive upon the
earth. These two groups will become one
great welcoming party, and when they meet
the Lord, He will not turn around and
withdraw with them. Rather they will turn
around and accompany Him to earth”
(Erickson 157).
• The following chart gives the events
surrounding the millennium according to
the Historic Premillennial view:
The Two Resurrections and the Millennium
Christ’s Second
Coming and First
Resurrection
Reign of Christ and
the Righteous
Second
Resurrection
Millennium
(1,000 Years)
Dead in
Christ
Raised
The Rest of the Dead
Are Not Raised Till
1,000 Years Are Over
Antichrist and
False Prophet
Are Thrown
Into the Lake
of Fire
Satan (Dragon)
Bound and Cast
Into the Abyss
Lake of Fire
Abyss
(Bottomless
Pit)
Satan
Released Out
of the Abyss
• Despite the differences regarding the millennium,
there are several things we must all keep in mind:
• It is important for us not to set dates for Christ’s
return.
• Yet it is important to watch (be vigilant) for His
return.
• It is important not to condemn those who disagree
with us.
• Yet it is important to know what we believe about
His return. Our beliefs determine our behavior!
• God will have plenty of time in the future
age to correct all our charts!
We will end this series with the words from the book
of Hebrews:
•“So do not throw away your confidence; it will be
richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that
when you have done the will of God, you will
receive what he has promised. For in just a very
little while, “He who is coming will come and will
not delay. But my righteous one will live by faith.
And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with
him.”
• “But we are not of those who shrink back
and are destroyed, but of those who believe
and are saved.”—He. 10:35-39
Works Cited
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•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Erickson, Millard. A Basic Guide to Eschatology: Making Sense of the
Millennium. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1977.
Fee, Gordon. God’s Empowering Presence: The Holy Spirit in the Letters of
Paul. Peabody: Hendrickson, 1994.
Fee, Gordon. Paul, the Spirit, and the People of God. Peabody: Hendrickson,
1996.
Gundry, Robert. The Church and the Tribulation: A Biblical Examination of
Posttribulationism. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1973.
Ladd, George. The Blessed Hope: A Biblical Study of the Second Advent
and the Rapture. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1956.
Ladd, George. The Last Things. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1978.
McGrath, Alister. Theology: The Basics. Malden: Blackwell Publishing,
2004.
Menzies, William and Stanley Horton. Bible Doctrines: A Pentecostal
Perspective. Springfield: Logion Press 1993.
Tanner, Paul. Rethinking Ezekiel’s Invasion of Gog. Journal of the
Evangelical Theological Society, vol. 39, no. 1, 29-45.