Someone's Notes on Postmill
The Kingdom Of God
When?
Mark 1:15 (At hand in 1st century)
Matthew 12:28-29 (28 shows kingdom is now, 29 shows Satan is bound)
Hebrews 12:28- We are receiving (present active participle-now and not yet-) a kingdom that cannot be shaken
Acts 2:29-35 (Davidic Covenant fulfilled via resurrection)
Acts 28:31 (Paul preaches the Kingdom of God)
Matthew 28:18 (Christ has all authority)
Acts 1:9- Daniel 7:13-14 (Christ inherits the Kingdom *See also Psalm 2:6-8*)
Daniel 2:44 (The eternal Kingdom is set up during the Roman Empire)
Hebrews 12:22 (Have come to Mt. Zion which is Heavenly Jerusalem *Isaiah 2, Psalm 2:6*
Psalm 110:1 (1 Corinthians 15:25 Christ is reigning now and will reign until all enemies are places under His feet, 5000 other verses speak of Christ being at the Father's right hand.)
Psalm 2 (Begins fulfillment at resurrection *see Acts 13:32-33 and Romans 1:4)
What's it like?
Daniel 2:35 (Starts small covers the Earth)
Isaiah 9:7 (increase of his government knows no end)
Matthew 13:31-33 (starts small but covers Earth)
Isaiah 2:1-4 (Begins with nations flowing to God bc they are drawn *John 12:32* and results in a time of peace on the Earth)
Psalm 22:27-28 (After the crucifixion, all the ends of the Earth worship God because He is King *Matthew 28:18-19*)
Psalm 72 (Christ's glory shall cover the Earth)
Psalm 110:1- 1 Corinthians 15:22-27 *Acts 1:9, Hebrews 1:13, Daniel 7:13-14, Colossians 3:1, Ephesians 1:20, and tons more* (Christ died for His people, *ascends* reigns UNTIL he places everything under His feet, lastly destroys death and delivers the Kingdom to the Father)
Genesis 22:17-18 (Descendants numerous as stars and sand on seashore. Abrahamic Covenant fulfilled in Christ. All who believe are Abraham's children *Galatians 3:7, 28-29*)
Isaiah 42:1-7 quoted in Matthew 12:15-21 (Christ, the better Israel, is a light for the nations and brings justice to the nation's in a gradual peaceful almost imperceptible way *v.3*)
Isaiah 61 quoted in Luke 4:18-19 (The Spirit of the Lord is upon me to bring good news to the poor, bind up broken hearts and proclaim liberty to the captives. Verse 6 we are made priests of God *1 Peter 2:9*. Verse 11 God causes righteousness and praise to sprout up among the nations like a garden produces its fruit *slowly*)
Isaiah 52:10 (Verse 7 says how beautiful are them that bring the good news *Romans 10:15* results in Jerusalem being redeemed and all the ends of the Earth seeing the salvation of God.)
Isaiah 52:15 (Connects to Isaiah 53. After the crucifixion *verse 13 and 14* He sprinkles many nations)
Ezekiel 47 parallels Revelation 22 (The new temple, Christ, causes water or the Spirit to go forth and it cleanses the sea and only a few marshes are left unclean. Sea represents Gentiles in a lot of prophetic literature)
Isaiah 11:1-10 (Christ comes and brings justice, equity and peace) Isaiah 11:11-16 commentators see V. 11-16 as picturing God saving all of His elect and picturing a royal conquest through the spread of the Gospel. This txt is quoted in Romans 15:12
Revelation 5:10-11 ( Christ receives the scroll which is His deed of rulership or inheritance *Psalm 2:6* and He makes us a kingdom of priests *1 Peter 2:9 and Revelation 1:5-6* and the saints reign ON THE EARTH)
Genesis 49:8-10 Christ is the lion of the tribes of Judah who is the ultimate king. He shall rule and to him will be the obedience of the people (Greek septuagint says ethnon which is the same Greek word found in Matthew 28:19). So, the Kingdom shall result in nations being obedient to Christ.
CONCLUSION:
REV 20 EXEGESIS
V.1 angel descends with key to abyss *Revelation 1:18*
V.2 and 3 Satan is bound for 1000 years
*Mark 3:27, Matthew 12:28-29*
1000 years is a symbolic number *2 Peter 3:8, Psalm 50:10, Psalm 84:10, Psalm 90:4, Psalm 105:8* (Daniel 7:10 makes it clear that 1000 is a symbolic number meaning a lot unless only 100,000,000 were a part of the judgment referenced there.)
V. 4 Saints die and go to Heaven as a result of Christ's resurrection they reign in Heaven with Christ.
V.5 The reprobate do not experience the blessedness of life with Christ in Heaven. This may also mean the rest of the dead spiritually do not take part in the first resurrection via regeneration.
V.6 Taking part in the first resurrection refers to regeneration. Some have died and went to Heaven because of Christ's resurrection. Others are "alive" through taking part in Christ's resurrection *Romans 6:4, Ephesians 2:5-6, Colossians 2:12*. This passage shows the contrast between spiritual and physical resurrection in a parallel way to John 5:25 and John 5:29. It is clear that the saints reign from Heaven and Earth *Revelation 5:10*.
V.6 because the saints have taken part in the first resurrection we are a kingdom of priests *1 Peter 2:9, Revelation 5:10* and reign with Christ on Earth. Furthermore, we have no fear of the Lake of Fire which is the second death.
V.7-10 refers to the great rebellion after Christ's reign reaches its peak. After the fulness of the Gentiles have come in and the Jews return to Christ, Satan is given authority to deceive the nations. This may occur through the power of the man of lawlessness in 2 Thessalonians 2. Admittedly, most Postmills believe the man of lawlessness to be in the past but I see no reason for that to be a necessity. The result is Christ returns to crush His enemies *2 Thessalonians 1:8* and cast them in the lake of fire.
The Premillennial position is impossible because:
1. Matthew 13 and 25 state that upon Christ's return we will immediately go into the eternal state. Christ's people to eternal.life the unregenerate into eternal damnation.
2. Romans 8 connects the glorification of believers to the renewal of the Earth. Therefore, Christ can't return and reign for 1000 years on earth over glorified believers and unglorfied unbelievers.
3. In Revelation 19 the unbelievers are all slaughtered. The premills take Revelation to be chronological. So where do the unbelievers come from in Revelation 20?
4. Acts 2 connects Christ's resurrection to the fulfillment of Davidic Covenant.
5. Matthew 12 and Mark both teach that the strong man is bound, Christ is reigning now and the Kingdom of God is here.
6. 1 Corinthians 15 says that the last enemy to be destroyed is death which occurs at Christ's return. However, the Premills still have people dying in the millennium which occurs after Christ's return.
7. John 5:29 speaks of 1 physical resurrection whereas the premills have 2.
8. Christ tells us that His Kingdom isn't a literal earthly kingdom in John 18:36.
9. The imminent return of Christ is not taught in Scripture (Matt. 25 bring a lot of oil, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4 *the man of lawlessness must be unleashed at the end of the millennium first*)