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“As the glue sticks to the surface so we the children of God ought to stick to the Lord so that we can receive all the blessings He has for us.”
Stella
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When will Jesus return?
This week we will briefly look at (3) Postmillennialism – according to proponents of this view, Christ will return after (‘post’) the millennium. So the Church Age is followed by the millennium after which Christ returns, believers are resurrected, as are unbelievers who then are judged, and the new heaven and new earth are ushered in leading to the eternal state.
During this millennium period which according to some is one thousand years, but others refer to it as a long period of time, the gospel will make a powerful impact on society and there will thus be much growth in the church as more and more people become Christians. Gradually the Christian influence on society will result in a millennium of peace, justice, and righteousness. At the end of this period Christ will return to earth. Postmillennialists back up their beliefs (as do the Amillennialists and Premillennialists) with various Scripture passages, e.g.,
He said, “What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth.Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade.
Mark 4:30-34
He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough.
Matt. 13:33
Here we see the gradual growth of the kingdom of heaven here on earth until the whole earth is filled with its influence and presence. Postmillennialists also refer to the Great Commission to indicate that the Gospel will be preached with the backing of Jesus’ sovereign authority eventually impacting the whole earth,
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.
Matt. 28:18-20
Even in times of persecution, or especially in times of persecution, these can be periods of immense church growth and the kingdom spreading here on earth.
Quote of the week
“We have defined Postmillennialism as that view of … the Kingdom of God … now being extended in the world through the preaching of the Gospel and the saving work of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of individuals, that the world eventually is to be Christianized, and that the return of Christ is to occur at the close of a long period of righteousness and peace commonly called the ‘Millennium’”.
Sam Storms
Verse of the week
In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever. This is the meaning of the vision of the rock cut out of a mountain, but not by human hands—a rock that broke the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold to pieces. “The great God has shown the king what will take place in the future. The dream is true and its interpretation is trustworthy”.
Daniel 2:44-45
Let’s Pray
Heavenly Father, give us more of Your Spirit of wisdom and revelation that we might know You better, know Your ways better, and understand the times we live in. May the eyes of our hearts be enlightened that we may know the hope to which You have called us. Lord, the more we study about the End Times, the more we find to study, and the more we realise how little we know about it. So Lord, reveal Your will and purposes to us Your Church. Lord be with all those who are unwell in Bethel at this time; strengthen and encourage them, and Lord, touch them with Your Holy Spirit and with Your hand of healing, in Jesus Christ Name, Amen.