22 major reasons to abandon the Premil doctrine

[Phoneman777]

You totally avoided the evidence presented. You sidestepped the Scriptures that forbid your claims. Please address, if you can.

Where does the OT prophets, Christ or the NT writers teach a 3-age format (“this age, the age to come and another age to come after the age to come”)? It seems like you are inventing 1 extra age on top of the NT framework.

Perhaps I missed it. I'll re read.

 

[stunnedbygrace]

How many wicked survived the flood?

None. Only Noah and his family repopulated the earth. I don’t think the wicked go into the millennium. I think some people and nations from the repopulation over the course of the thousand years don’t go to the feast of booths and no rain falls on their land and I think some die young, and young becomes a hundred because men begin to live live longer again as they used to (another strange Genesis in reverse thing) because they don’t heed Jesus. But at the very end of the thousand years, satan is released and grabs some more to him.

Now I don’t know how many are left to repopulate the world but it’s at LEAST 144,000, but I do know that over a thousand year period of time, it would increase exponentially to become a lot of people. Sort of how interest accruing explodes exponentially after some years. Even if you only started with two people and said population doubled every…40 years, you would wind up with a LOT of people in an exponential explosion.

 

[WPM]

I can’t help it. It’s how I see. I see it jumps around, overlaps in places, I even see how one passage is a more broad outline and another is a more meticulously detailed outline, but only of a portion of the broader outline.

Not so. It looks like you are forced to do this order to support an age that doesn't actually exist. You are butchering the context and inserting your millennium where it is not mentioned or belong. That is called adding unto Scripture.

The passage is talking alone about the NHNE which arrives when Jesus comes. There is no space for another age of sin and sinner, crying and dying, war and terror, Satan and his minions.

 

[WPM]

Perhaps I missed it. I'll re read.

Ok, thanks.

 

[WPM]

None. Only Noah and his family repopulated the earth. I don’t think the wicked go into the millennium. I think some people and nations from the repopulation over the course of the thousand years don’t go to the feast of booths and no rain falls on their land and I think some die young, and young becomes a hundred because men begin to live live longer again as they used to (another strange Genesis in reverse thing) because they don’t heed Jesus. But at the very end of the thousand years, satan is released and grabs some more to him.

Now I don’t know how many are left to repopulate the world but it’s at LEAST 144,000, but I do know that over a thousand year period of time, it would increase exponentially to become a lot of people. Sort of how interest accruing explodes exponentially after some years.

Jesus said in Luke 17:26-30, “as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.”

How many wicked survived in Noah's day?
How many wicked survived in Sodom?

You know, in both of these examples, all the elect were immediately and totally rescued and all the wicked were immediately and totally destroyed. So will it be when He appears. All the elect were immediately and totally rescued and all the wicked were immediately and totally destroyed, so will it be when He appears.

It is both the suddenness and the scale of the destruction happening that is enlightening for the end-time Bible student.

The plain focus of this teaching in Luke 17 (reference Noah and Lot’s day) is the nature and degree of the judgment that befell the wicked in these two familiar Old Testament stories and especially the extent of that particular wrath. The key element and major emphasis of this discourse is the fact (speaking of the ungodly) that God “destroyed them all.” The comprehensive destruction of the wicked in both of these examples is the important lesson of the narrative; both the whole world of Noah’s day and the whole individual city of Sodom in Lot’s day saw the immediate and complete rescue of the entire righteous coupled together with the immediate and complete destruction of the entire wicked.

Christ plainly and purposefully advanced these two days, where the righteous were graciously rescued just prior to the full annihilation of the wicked, in order to vividly portray the nature and scope of the day of His wrath at the second coming. He deliberates and graphically connected the happenings of both these former days of judgment to the day of His return. Jesus succinctly said, “Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed” (Luke 17:30).

After speaking of the “days of Noe” and the “days of Lot,” the Lord then describes a singular “day” when the righteous were rescued and the wicked were destroyed. Whilst the Lord presents the rebellion and debauchery that preceded both of these judgments as a sign of how things will exist prior to the day of His all-consummating appearing, the main focus of His teaching relates to the focus and scale of the wrath which did fall on these two solemn days of destruction and how they accurately reflect what will happen at the second coming. Both individually and jointly, they supply us with a stunning insight into the nature of the actual day that Christ’s returns and to the days that precede His glorious second coming. In their substance and importance these two Old Testament days are distinct and unique. And whilst the nature of the judgment and geographical extent of both appreciably varies, brought-together, they graphically represent (1) the type of catastrophe coming, and (2) the scale of the destruction at the end. Scripture nowhere separates in time the gathering of the Lord's people to Himself with the destruction of the wicked.

 

[stunnedbygrace]

So where are these Scriptures that teach that "God always removes the righteous before His wrath but other verses seemed to say He removes the wicked from out of among the righteous. Then I saw the two reapings in revelation and it was cleared up some for me. (Then there’s that pesky verse about how He will destroy the righteous along with the wicked, don’t even wanna go there right now!)"?

whew! That will take some time. I’m game but I have to get showered and to the grocery store right now. But I do think I remember “now I will destroy the righteous along with the wicked” is in Ezekiel. But I’ll stick with the other verses and passages because I don’t fully understand the Ezekiel verse.

 

[WPM]

whew! That will take some time. I’m game but I have to get showered and to the grocery store right now. But I do think I remember “now I will destroy the righteous along with the wicked” is in Ezekiel. But I’ll stick with the other verses and passages because I don’t fully understand the Ezekiel verse.

Do you have actual references?

 

[stunnedbygrace]

Do you have actual references?

I googled it. Ezekiel 21. But I want to stick with the verses that show God always removes the righteous before His wrath. There are quite a few of them.

Genesis 18, Abraham is asking the Lord if He will destroy Sodom if he finds 50 righteous there. By the end of it, he’s asking, what if you only find 10 righteous? And each time God says He will not destroy it for the sake of righteous men found there, even 10. Then He removes Lot first.

And with Noah, He also removed the righteous before His wrath.

This is why I can see where midtrib is coming from.
Anyway, these are the passages that show God removes the righteous/protects the righteous before unleashing His wrath.

Now you also wanted verses that I found that seem to say He removes the wicked but leaves the righteous in place.
Proverbs 2 - 21For the upright will inhabit the land, and the blameless will remain in it; 22but the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the unfaithful will be uprooted.

Mathew 13 - At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’”

Then we have two reapings in revelation. The first sounds like righteous removed. The second reads like wicked removed.

 

[WPM]

I googled it. Ezekiel 21. But I want to stick with the verses that show God always removes the righteous before His wrath. There are quite a few of them.

Genesis 18, Abraham is asking the Lord if He will destroy Sodom if he finds 50 righteous there. By the end of it, he’s asking, what if you only find 10 righteous? And each time God says He will not destroy it for the sake of righteous men found there, even 10. Then He removes Lot first.

And with Noah, He also removed the righteous before His wrath.

This is why I can see where midtrib is coming from.
Anyway, these are the passages that show God removes the righteous/protects the righteous before unleashing His wrath.

Now you also wanted verses that I found that seem to say He removes the wicked but leaves the righteous in place.
Proverbs 2 - 21For the upright will inhabit the land, and the blameless will remain in it; 22but the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the unfaithful will be uprooted.

Mathew 13 - At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’”

Then we have two reapings in revelation. The first sounds like righteous removed. The second reads like wicked removed.

The Proverbs passage doesn't say what you are attributing to it.

Re Jesus teaching in Matthew 13:24-30: “The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field. But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed among the wheat, and went his way …Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.”

Verses 39-43 continues, “the harvest is the end of the world (or aion or age); and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world (or aion or age). The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.”

You need to read this again. This is not talking about the catching away. This is a post-judgment event, not a pre-judgment event as you are arguing. Evidently the sentence has already been presented. The wicked have been finally judged here and are first to ushered to their eternal home. This is altogether different from the general resurrection that see the righteous proceed the wicked. In Matthew 13:30 we see the wicked being finally banished to their eternal home after their judgment.

 

[Eternally Grateful]

(1) Premil is totally preoccupied with, and dependent upon, one chapter in the Bible – Revelation 20.

This is wrong, Premil basis its theology on many aspects of scripture. We do not need rev 20 to support us. there are many many passages which support us.

(2) Premil hangs its doctrine on a very precarious frayed thread: that of Revelation 20 following Revelation 19 chronologically in time. To hold this, it has to dismiss the different recaps (or different camera views pertaining to the intra-Advent period) that exist throughout the book of Revelation, divorce it from repeated Scripture on this matter and also explain away the clear and explicit climactic detail that pertains to Revelation 19. Premil is dependent upon the dubious premise that Revelation 20 is chronological to Revelation 19. That is it! Disprove that and Premil falls apart.

Premil does not have to do any of the above. We just talek all of scripture including OT prophecies (dan 2, Dan 9 Ezek 23 to name a few) and we see it fits nicely together as one event, and 3 people who involved in the battle of Rev 19 getting what they deserve

(3) The detail Premil attributes to Revelation 20 compared to what the actual text explicitly says is day and night. Revelation 20 does not remotely say what Premil attribute to it. Many extravagant characteristics, events and ideas are inserted into Revelation 20 that do not exist in the said chapter.

You seem to have an infatuation with rev 20. As if it is our only passage. This is your first mistake and extreme flaw in your hatred of a group of people

For example:

· For years, it has been the Premil mantra that Jesus will be ruling in majesty and glory with a rod of iron for 1000 years on planet earth after the second coming. But this can be found nowhere in Revelation 20 or any other passage in Scripture?

Rev 20, Ez 37, Psalms 2, Rev 2, Rev 12, Rev 19 to name but a few

· Premillennialists argue that salvation will continue on after the second coming. But where does it say that? The second coming brings a close to the day of salvation. Scripture makes clear: now is the day of salvation. It also shows the completion of the great commission ushers in the end of the world (Matthew 28:19-20). Scriptures tells us that “the longsuffering of our Lord” that marks the period before Jesus comes as a thief in the night “is salvation” (2 Peter 3:15). There is no more salvation after that.

weak argument. but I do not see where you proved your point

· They argue that the old covenant arrangement will be fully restarted in a future millennium, even though Revelation 20 makes no mention of such teaching.

The abrahamic covenant is still binding. Not restarted. You have misunderstood what we believe, while a FEW (small minority) believe we will return to the law. they are a minority. The just of dispensational thinking rejects this view

· Premillennialists speak about the restoration of an elevated position for ethnic Israel on their future millennial earth. But a careful study of Revelation 20 teaches no such thing.

The OT prophets do
Daniel, Zechariah, Jeremiah to name a few

· They insist that glorified saints and mortal sinners will interact in a future millennium, even though Revelation 20 makes no mention of such a belief.

rev 20 says that after satan is released, he will "decieve the nations" once again and gather an army that will come against jerusalem, and be defeated by Christ, THEN will be the end

Satan could not gather an army UNLESS they were lost people

· They present their future millennium to be perfect pristine paradise of peace and harmony when in fact it ends up the biggest religious bust in history, as billions of wicked as the sand of the sea overrun the Premil millennium.

Well this is what Rev 20 states

Their age is just 'more of the same'. There is more sin and sinners, more death and disease, more war and terror, more of the devil and his demons. The idyllic setting of the lamb enjoying sweet communion with the wolf, the bullock eating straw with the lion, the little kid-goat lying peaceably beside the leopard, the cow and the bear grazing happily together is quickly broken as the slaughter truck roar up from the temple. The Zadok priests quickly jump out and drag the unsuspecting animals aboard who had been lulled into a false-sense of security by Christ’s rod of iron rule. As the truck speeds off the millennial peace and harmony is broken forever by the bloody intent of the Zadok priests. When they arrive in Jerusalem they pointlessly slit the throats of the lambs, goats and bullocks because they are somehow needed as sin offerings, even though Jesus had made the final sacrifice for sin thousands of years previous.

Read the passage, After satan is released THEN he decieves the nation

Jesus rules with a rod of Iron. there is no widespread even in the millenium. once again, Your proof is baseless

I do not need to go further. Your points are baseless. FOrmed on a false believe of what we think, and based on your inability to interpret the word correctly

 

[WPM]

This is wrong, Premil basis its theology on many aspects of scripture. We do not need rev 20 to support us. there are many many passages which support us.


Premil does not have to do any of the above. We just talek all of scripture including OT prophecies (dan 2, Dan 9 Ezek 23 to name a few) and we see it fits nicely together as one event, and 3 people who involved in the battle of Rev 19 getting what they deserve


You seem to have an infatuation with rev 20. As if it is our only passage. This is your first mistake and extreme flaw in your hatred of a group of people

Rev 20, Ez 37, Psalms 2, Rev 2, Rev 12, Rev 19 to name but a few

I am not sure where these mentions are. Can you please present us with every quote from Daniel 2, 9, Ezekiel 23, 37, Psalm 2, Revelation 2, Rev 12, and Rev 19 that mentions a future millennium?

 

[stunnedbygrace]

The Proverbs passage doesn't say what you are attributing to it.

Re Jesus teaching in Matthew 13:24-30: “The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field. But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed among the wheat, and went his way …Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.”

Verses 39-43 continues, “the harvest is the end of the world (or aion or age); and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world (or aion or age). The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.”

You need to read this again. This is not talking about the catching away. This is a post-judgment event, not a pre-judgment event as you are arguing. Evidently the sentence has already been presented. The wicked have been finally judged here and are first to ushered to their eternal home. This is altogether different from the general resurrection that see the righteous proceed the wicked. In Matthew 13:30 we see the wicked being finally banished to their eternal home after their judgment.

Yes, I agree, it’s not the gathering together. That’s removal of the righteous. This verse portrays removal of the wicked, which I believe to be after the thousand years.

The two groups of passages/verses I gave cannot be mashed together. They describe two different things.

 

[stunnedbygrace]

I skimmed over it and the only evidence for claiming there's no third period is simply to point to the other two.

Like claiming the existence of Moe and Larry is proof that Curly doesn't exist.

lol! You made me laugh.

 

[Lizbeth]

I want to list some of the issues that forced me to eventually abandon Premillennialism and embrace Amillennialism. My main reason for abandoning Premil was the severe lack of corroboration. I had a major issue with that! What is more: I had multiple problem-texts as a Premil that showed the coming of Christ to be climactic and all-consummating. I have presented a lot of these questions in discussions over the years (since 2000) on boards like this and have failed to get any satisfactory corroboration for these questions. What I normally get is either blatant avoidance of the issues or "Revelation 20 says." This is so frustrating because Revelation 20 does not corroborate Revelation 20. Amils on the other hand tend to use the biblical premise "what saith the Scripture." The only conclusion I could arrive at is that the Premil interpretation of Revelation 20 is in error, it conflicts with numerous Scripture, and enjoys NO other serious scriptural support.

(1) Premil is totally preoccupied with, and dependent upon, one chapter in the Bible – Revelation 20. It interprets the rest of Scripture in the light of its opinion of one lone highly-debated chapter located in the most figurative and obscure book in the Bible. All end-time Scripture is viewed through the lens of Revelation 20. This is not a very wise way to establish any truth or doctrine. Take this passage out of the equation and Premillennialism has nothing in the inspired pages to support their main tenets. Amils have a problem with, and very much disagree with this form of hermeneutics and exegesis of many Scriptures.

Coming in to this discussion many pages later, but I agree. I used to believe in a future thousand year reign. It's already been said, but this is one problem I now have with dispensationalism...that the new testament plainly teaches the end of the world and judgment is at Christ's coming, which teachings have to be wrested and added to in order to make them agree with a dispensationalist understanding of Revelation of a future millennial reign.

Dispensationalism also completely ignores Christ's victory and rule and reign NOW in this age to the very great detriment of the church. Jesus is Lord and King ruling and reigning now with that rod of iron (His word/sword) in His mouth! All authority in heaven and on earth has already been given to Him. And aren't we as believers ruling and reigning with Him in our delegated authority in this age, whenever we enforce His rule, casting out demons, healing the sick, saving souls from Satan's grip, etc.

I'm just old enough to barely remember that the victory and reign of Christ in this age used to be taught and sung about before all the popular "end time" Christian writers came on the scene, and I was led astray by it. Is it any wonder the church in the west at least has lost so much traction and ground since then? I'm sure it is one huge factor. The church is not enforcing and living in the reality of His rule and reign any more by faith, but instead is sitting back waiting for it to start.

 

[Truth7t7]

Is 65: No more shall an infant from there live but a few days,
Nor an old man who has not fulfilled his days;
For the child shall die one hundred years old,
But the sinner being one hundred years old shall be accursed.

We have Children being born
We have death
We have sinners being cursed.

Isaiah 65:17-20 & Revelation 21:1-4 are the same "Parallel" reading describing the New Heaven, Earth, Jerusalem, something you deny before your eyes,simple and easy to understand

Isaiah 65:17-20KJV
17 For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.
18 But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy.
19 And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying.
20 There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed.

Revelation 21:1-4KJV
1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

 

[WPM]

Tweak argument. but I do not see where you proved your point

The abrahamic covenant is still binding. Not restarted. You have misunderstood what we believe, while a FEW (small minority) believe we will return to the law. they are a minority. The just of dispensational thinking rejects this view

What do you mean? Do you believe the Jewish temple will be rebuilt? Will animal sacrifices be restarted?

The OT prophets do
Daniel, Zechariah, Jeremiah to name a few

Not so. They predicted Christ introducing His kingdom at the First Advent. He did that. The Pharisees with the hyper-literalist theology missed that. By point that you responded to referred to Revelation 20. where does it teach the restoration of an elevated position for ethnic Israel on their future millennial earth?

rev 20 says that after satan is released, he will "decieve the nations" once again and gather an army that will come against jerusalem, and be defeated by Christ, THEN will be the end

Satan could not gather an army UNLESS they were lost people

You are not answering my point again. You are building one error upon another error and coming up with greater error. Address my point.

Well this is what Rev 20 states

Where does Rev 20 present a perfect pristine paradise of peace and harmony? Quote actual verses.

Read the passage, After satan is released THEN he decieves the nation

Jesus rules with a rod of Iron. there is no widespread even in the millenium. once again, Your proof is baseless

I do not need to go further. Your points are baseless. FOrmed on a false believe of what we think, and based on your inability to interpret the word correctly

Where does Rev 20 "Jesus rules with a rod of iron"? Quote actual verses.

 

[Truth7t7]

Like I said, you as well as most Jesuit Futurists and Jesuit Preterists ignore the third coming age of total Earthly desolation, dark, empty, silent. Trust me, when Jesus comes in glory, there won't be anything going on down here. This desolation is clearly spoken of in Scripture.

Sounds like 7th Day Adventism's (Ellen G. White) that you follow and her teachings of a 3rd age, which one of her claimed 2,000 dreams and visions was this one?

 

[WPM]

Coming in to this discussion many pages later, but I agree. I used to believe in a future thousand year reign. It's already been said, but this is one problem I now have with dispensationalism...that the new testament plainly teaches the end of the world and judgment is at Christ's coming, which teachings have to be wrested and added to in order to make them agree with a dispensationalist understanding of Revelation of a future millennial reign.

Dispensationalism also completely ignores Christ's victory and rule and reign NOW in this age to the very great detriment of the church. Jesus is Lord and King ruling and reigning now with that rod of iron (His word/sword) in His mouth! All authority in heaven and on earth has already been given to Him. And aren't we as believers ruling and reigning with Him in our delegated authority in this age, whenever we enforce His rule, casting out demons, healing the sick, saving souls from Satan's grip, etc.

I'm just old enough to barely remember that the victory and reign of Christ in this age used to be taught and sung about before all the popular "end time" Christian writers came on the scene, and I was led astray by it. Is it any wonder the church in the west at least has lost so much traction and ground since then? I'm sure it is one huge factor. The church is not enforcing and living in the reality of His rule and reign any more by faith, but instead is sitting back waiting for it to start.

Enjoyed reading this. I have a similar story.

 

[WPM]

I skimmed over it and the only evidence for claiming there's no third period is simply to point to the other two.

Like claiming the existence of Moe and Larry is proof that Curly doesn't exist.

Address the Scriptures I presented that show "the age to come" has no death and marriage, as you (and other Premils) try to promote. Address how one must be worthy to inherit that age, whereas your age to come is saturated in billions of wicked who overrun your supposed future millennium as the sand of the sea.

 

[WPM]

I skimmed over it and the only evidence for claiming there's no third period is simply to point to the other two.

Like claiming the existence of Moe and Larry is proof that Curly doesn't exist.

Constantly throughout the Word of God we see that “this present evil age” is equated with suffering and pain. The age to come is depicted as an eternal rest and safety. Romans 8:16-18 explains (I will quote the NKJV), “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time [Gr. Kairos] are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall [Gr. mello or hereafter] be revealed in us.”

There is a constant tension throughout the New Testament in regard to the imperfection of this age and the perfection of the age to come, the temporal nature of our current age and the eternal character of the age to come. Paul is dealing a lot with the imperfection and suffering of this age and this world and is particularly highlighting the fact that this creation is not what God designed it to be. The theme is both consistent and well-defined.

The phrase “this present time” found in this reading closely corresponds with the synonymous expression “this world/age” found throughout the New Testament to describe the here-and-now. It is a saying that is normally used when contrasting the deficiency of this current life to the bliss and glory of the approaching eternal state – “the world / age to come.” In fact, Scripture only knows of two ages – “this age” and the “age to come,” Scripture make no mention of, or allowance for, any imperfect semi-glorious/semi-corrupt transitional age in-between “this present time” or age and the eternal “age to come,” as Premils argue.

In this reading, Paul is simply comparing the testing and trials that God’s people currently endure in this current life, which is plagued with all the consequences of the fall, and the joy of the eternal state when Christ comes that is totally purged of the curse. The portrayal of this age correlates with Galatians 1:4 that labels “this present time” of “sufferings” as “this present evil age.” Paul speaks of a time when “the children of God” will be “glorified together” at His return. He assures his audience that the difficulties of this life are nothing “to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” when Christ appears. His whole focus is the glory that will be finally and eternally realized at Christ’s return.

Paul is looking forward to the day when both man and creation will be perfected and will be in total harmony and sync again. He is stressing the fact that the glory that awaits us is assured. Our bodies will indeed be raised. We will be glorified. We will be made into the image of the Lord Jesus Christ. God is successfully working towards that end. Nothing will thwart that purpose. Nothing can thwart what God is going to do for us and in us. We therefore have a great hope of perfect renewal, and being finally and eternally made into the image of Christ.

Romans 8:19-23 continues (I will quote it from the NKJV as it is more accurate): “For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God (that is the glorification of fallen creation). For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption [Gr. phthora or decay] into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body (that is the glorification of God elect).”

We live in a world that is burdened and broken. It is fallen because it has been ruined by sin. The Greek word interpreted “vanity” in the KJV is the Greek word mataiotes meaning: 1) what is devoid of truth and appropriateness; 2) perverseness, depravity; 3) frailty, want of vigor. This embodies all consequences of sin on the earth. As a repercussion, it has been judged by God.

Notwithstanding, God in His providence and infinite wisdom has ordained a day when He will finally bring time, evil and the bondage of corruption to an end. This passage speaks of an approaching climactic event in history that will eventually and eternally release all creation from a position of current anguish and despair to a place of total liberation and relief. In fact, there can be no doubt; the central focus of this whole passage is the yearning of “the whole creation” for the day when “the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.” There is indeed a termination to the “bondage of corruption” – it is the one and only future all-consummating Coming of Christ.

There is a direct connection between the liberation of “creation” and the liberation of the “sons of God.” Both the creature and creation are waiting for “the adoption, [to wit], the redemption of our body” – or resurrection day. This is the day when both will simultaneously be delivered from the aforementioned “bondage of corruption.” The day of redemption is shown throughout Scripture to be the second coming of Christ. It is there is that man experiences the final part of redemption – the redemption of his body.