Subject: ___-trib satisfactory? |
Bible Note: Listener, I don't know if I am touching upon an answer to your question or not, but I have studied about this thousand year thing and what I come up with is this: In the symbolic language of Revelation the Thousand Year symbol is for complete completeness. satan was bound completely, while martyrs reigned completely. In other words, there was utter defeat on the one hand , whiler there was total vicory on the other hand. I am not able to find where Christ ever comes back to the earth and has an earthly reign. Nowhere in Rev. 20 does it say the throne is on earth. If you have been reading the entire book of Revelation, you know that the throne of Christ and his people is in heaven. John sees the souls of the martyrs, not the bodies. Listener, this is why I referred to Rev 22:18-19. I believe that whole systems of eschatology and theology have been constructed on the basis of these highly symbolical verses. Men adding their own words and their own meaning to the Word of God and deriding anyone who does not accept their opinions. Incidentally, two nights ago I was started re-reading one of the volumes written by Eusebius. Eusebius was a Christian historian who wrote on or about 300 A.D. I had read it once before, but did not remember his commenting on this subject. I would like to quote something he said regarding the teaching of the millenium. I will be quoting from the "Eccliastical History",III xxxix. 7-12. Eusebius has been referring to another writer named Papias. He tells of Papias' habit of adding myths and traditions into his writings and teachings. This is his quote about Papias: "The same writer adduces other accounts, as though they came to him from unwritten tradition and some strange parables and teachings of the Saviour, and some other more mythical accounts. Among them he says that there will be a millennium after the resurrection of the dead, when the kingdom of Christ will be set up in material form on this earth. I suppost that he got these notions by a perverse reading of the apostolic accounts, not realizing that they had spoken mystically and symbolically. For he was a man of very little intelligence, as is clear from his books." I just found this interesting and thought you might also. Now, back to the topic of a "thousand years". I would like to hear your comments. It is very difficult for me to accept a theology that is based and opinions and conjecture. This is why I refer to Matt 24 and I Thess. 4. This is theology that I can believe. The saved will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air. When someone wants to inject their opinions into a scripture and build their theology around it, I have a difficult time accepting it. God bless. Bobbie Faye |