Christ Reigns

We are now living in the age of the kingdom of Christ. Jesus spoke of His sufferings and the glories that would follow (Luke 24:26). Paul spoke in his day of the ages to come in which He would show us the riches of His grace (Eph 2:7). Jesus spoke of the church which He would build (Matt 16:18). John the Baptist spoke of the kingdom which was at hand (Matt 3:2).

Daniel spoke of the rock cut out without hands that would then fill the earth (Dan 2:33-35). Isaiah spoke of the increase of His government, of which there would be no end (Is 9:7). Habakkuk spoke of the glory of the knowledge of the Lord covering the earth like the waters cover the sea (Hab 2:4). Revelation spoke of His rule amongst all nations. This is the time we are living in now, the kingdom of Christ.

Negativity

Dispensationalism puts all this off until the Second Coming of Christ. It says that all these glorious scriptures are for the reign of Christ in Jerusalem when He returns. It says that now we are getting ready for the antichrist to rule. It sees things as getting progressively worse. We can do nothing but prepare for the end. “Store up food for the Great Tribulation”, as mid-trib’ or post-tribulationists put it.

The negativity of Dispensationalism makes it damaging. Dispensationalism became popular after the French Revolution, after modern industrialization resulted in poor urban social conditions and after the American Civil War. These events disturbed the earlier optimism of post-millennialism. The view changed to see mainly evil and that the world would only get worse.

If we look down through the ages since Paul we also see something different. Yes we see the evil, but we also see the gospel prevailing over the earth, just as Jesus said. We also know that the Father has not changed. The nations still belong to His Son and always will. God is not going to enthrone His Son on the throne of David when He returns. He has already enthroned His Son.

However, this negative view has caused the church to withdraw from society, instead of seeing the world as ruled by Christ. In the last 100 years many Christians have largely stayed out of government, out of universities and out of the media, or at least not tried in any significant way to change them. This negative behaviour is self-fulfilling. The next generation is almost bereft of godly society as a result. This is not fulfilling Christ’s mission.

F. W. Newman, a colleague of Darby, described the negativity of Darby’s Dispensationalism, “The importance of this doctrine is that it totally forbids all working for earthly objects distant in time.”. (Cited in Christian Zionism, Stephen Sizer.)

When one young man sought Darby’s advice on whether he should do further studies in mathematics, Darby answered, “Such a purpose was very proper, if entertained by a worldly man. Let the dead bury their dead; and let the world study the things of the world…such attitudes cannot be eagerly followed by the Christian, except when he yields to unbelief.”. (Cited in Sizer.)

Fatalism

As new Christians we were taught that Henry Kissinger was the antichrist. He would take over either the United Nations or the European Union and enter a peace treaty with Israel before the Great Tribulation would start. We were told that the Second Coming of Christ would occur in a few years time. Friends we know left university, messing up their lives. In Thessalonica they left their jobs for the same reason and Paul wrote to correct them.

Dispensationalism produces a crippling fatalism. We think that there is no point to striving, that prophecy must be fulfilled and we do not stand against the falling away of the “last-days”. We think there is nothing that we can do: “These are called the signs of the times.”. It is claimed that Israel becoming a nation is a sign of the end. Our attitudes and actions have been predetermined by a false view of scripture.

This is harmful to Christian influence in the world. Christians who should be active are not. Earthquakes, famines and evil in the world are not a sign that Jesus is coming in our generation. These things have been going on for 2,000 years and morality has been much worse in earlier generations. Besides, this view of signs is taken from an incorrect understanding of Matthew 24, which we speak on later.

Evangelism

We have spoken to church leaders who said they know that what is taught on last-days is probably not true, but that it is good for making converts. They said it excites people. But when the people realize that what they were told is wrong they “backslide”. Our Christian life must be built on genuine repentance that comes from God. Whether Jesus is coming tomorrow or in 1,500 years should not make any difference to the way we live. Why would anyone fear the last-days, if they had a relationship with God?

It is thought by some that today the antichrist may be the leader of Iran. It is reckless to make speculative interpretations of scripture. In every generation there are figures who oppose the gospel, but the Bible gives no basis to speculate about the end. Every generation that has done this has been wrong.

Some have said that the Second Coming will not take us unaware, meaning we will know when the event is about to occur by that which precedes it (1 Thes 5:1-8). Firstly, Paul was not referring to the Second Coming in that text. Secondly, when we are living for Christ we are always ready. That does not mean that we know the season that it will occur. The Bible says that that season is in the Father’s hands and is not for us to know (Acts 1:6-8).

Jesus said “occupy till I come.” (Luke 19:13). Jesus said His kingdom is like leaven that fills the whole lump of dough (Luke 13:20-22). This means we are supposed to have influence in the world.

It was claimed that Jesus will come by the year 2,000, since it would then be 6,000 years after Adam was made, when we would enter the last 1,000 years, the Sabbath millennium. The Bible does not say this. This is an allegory from Genesis 1, not intended by scripture. God said that His promises to Abraham and His seed would last for 1,000 generations (1 Chron 16:15). If literal, that is 40,000 years. If symbolic, it is also a long time.

We must recover the view of former generations of Spirit filled believers who laboured in faith, martyrdom, theology, evangelism, mission, government, education and science, etc, to hand down to the generations that followed a blessing that we still enjoy. We are living on the fruit of earlier generations. It is time to change our outlook, so we can be a blessing to those who follow, if the Lord tarries.
We are not permitted to speculate on His coming. We are instructed to occupy. Let us be obedient servants.