Gospel in Full Focus

Post-Millennialists seem to think a future age of the Spirit is something that is required by prophecy. Required to fulfil prophecy. A thousand years of peace. Where everyone knows the Lord. An age of the Spirit.

I don't feel the text of prophecy requires that quite so universally.

For example, I don't think that "all Israel shall be saved" ever meant literally every single Israeli.

It meant salvation would be procured for all Israel. It also meant a multitude of Israelis would believe and receive it. But not necessarily that every individual would.

The prophets themselves foresaw a dual outcome occurring concomitantly with the other, when they asked, "Who hath believed our report?"

"No man will say, 'Know the Lord', for they shall all know me". I don't think it meant there must come a thousand year age wherein literally everyone will know the Lord.

It was fulfilled in Israel beginning at the return from captivity when idolatry was eliminated, and culminating in the first century AD with the nationwide impact of John the Baptist, the Lord and the Apostles. There would not have been a single Jew in Judaea who hadn't heard about God at that time.

It was most profoundly fulfilled in those Jews who believed in Jesus.

As the Gospel spread to include the Gentiles, the knowledge of the Lord did cover the earth like the sea. But that didn't mean every single individual must be saved. It doesn't necessarily even mean most must be saved.

It just meant that the Gospel would be preached in all nations, and there would be believers amongst every ethnic group.

That in itself was a huge leap ahead in contrast with pre-Gospel eras.

People coming to know the Lord, and people continuing in unbelief, both happened concurrently. Every Biblical writer expected that scenario.

Jesus said the Gospel will continue to be preached right up until the end.

That won't be necessary to do if everyone will have already known Him for a thousand years.

"The end" to which Jesus referred can't refer merely to the end of the Old Covenant - or else the Gospel needn't have been preached beyond AD70.

And He said it will continue to be preached "as a testimony against them". In other words, there will still be scoffers right up until the end - but the Gospel must still be preached anyway.

Revelation describes the everlasting Gospel being preached right up until the end.

Jesus asked whether the son of man will find faith on the earth when He comes.

He warned that His coming would be like a thief in the night to those who are not ready.

All His parables about the importance of readiness weren't just about AD70, because He often mentioned the final judgment in that context.

E.g., The bridegroom coming and the wise and foolish virgins.

The goats and the sheep separated at His coming.

The tares being left with the wheat until the harvest.

Good and bad fish being separated from the net at the end.

If it was only about AD70, then He gave no commission for the present day Church. Enter: cessationism.

Some Reformed Post-Millennialists even bemoan the fact that many have never gotten beyond preaching the Gospel. They think the Church should have moved beyond that to focusing instead on Christian reconstructionism.

Jesus said all things would continue as in Noah's day. They scoffed until the end. Few were saved. 

"The former and latter rain" doesn't describe two ends of the Church age. The prophet said both would be sent in one month. Peter quoted that and said, "This is that..." He didn't say, "This is only half of that..." This is that!

The Feast of Tabernacles was just another name for the Feast of Pentecost. One didn't follow the other. They were the same thing. Same event. Same time.

So there's no basis in the Feast to say a future age of the Holy Spirit (tabernacles) distinct from the current age (Pentecost) is required in order to fulfil the shadow. It's all one and the same. It was fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost and will continue to be so until the Day of the Lord, Joel said.

Again the Day of the Lord can't mean AD70 alone - or else Joel's prophecy has no more relevance.

And the context of Joel's prophecy included the theme of repentance - multitudes in the valley of decision - not a utopia before Christ's second coming.

No prophet including Jesus knew exactly how much time will lapse between the cross and the second coming.

They could only describe the nature of the time - not its precise length.

And they described the period as a unit - with no mention of any markedly different age within it.

Daniel said many would turn to righteousness, and at the same time many would fall. He certainly didn't describe a utopia.

Jesus described the destruction of Jerusalem then takes us right up to the second coming - with no mention of any special utopian age in between. 

All he mentioned about the entire period was tribulation, persecution, preaching and building His church - each at the same time.

His kingdom and peace is expanding endlessly - but that doesn't necessarily mean the tares and unprepared virgins will cease to exist in society.

The Gospel has released prisoners, opened the eyes of the blind, healed broken hearts, founded great nations - and we could see more of this. Hallelujah! 

But I don't necessarily think the Prophecies require that everyone must be saved when Christ comes.

The reason I think it matters is because it can lull us into settling on our lees. Thinking the future will take care of itself. Thinking prophecy has the future covered. Thinking our own time is less promising. Thinking the Gospel scheme we presently have isn't the best card God still has to play.

The Gospel is everything! It's the Kingdom! It's serious business. This is it. 

Post-Millennialism and Dispensational Pre-Millennialism are both futurism. And that downplays the power that was invested in the Gospel when it first began, when it first fulfilled prophecy and promise in Israel.

Many Post-Millennialists do end-up becoming less focused on the Gospel, and signs and wonders, it seems.

Many Pre-Millennialists spend a lot of time discussing what they think are yet-to-be-fulfilled prophecies.

But understanding Proohecy as truly fulfilled keeps the Gospel and only the Gospel in full focus right up until the end.