Why I Left Behind The 'Left Behind' Mindset (Amillennialism: The Lutheran Perspective On Bible Prophecy)

This post is long overdue, and by "long" I mean...L-O-N-G!

Truth is, I've been teasing about writing and publishing it for months. Well, after last week's entry on Siri's so-called "prophecy" and the fact that an old Internet acquaintance reached out to me through Facebook to ask me where my old blog went and why I wasn't writing about all the "signs of the times" taking place around the world right now, I think it's time I weighed in on Bible prophecy from a distinctly Lutheran perspective.

As an ex-Evangelical who is now a Confessional Lutheran, or one who's in the process of "rediscovering" his Lutheran roots, there's one area of my past life that I haven't addressed yet (at least not with any kind of detail and in-depth commentary).

See, for the past 10 years or so (particularly the last 5 years let's), eschatology (that fancy schmancy word for "A Study of End Times Bible Prophecy/Theology") has been A VERY BIG PART of what I regularly studied and shared from the Bible with other Christians, family members, and friends day-in-and-day-out.

Of course, sharing the Gospel with them was always my primary concern, but I used current events to open the door to a religious conversation, passages about Bible prophecy that seemed to support what was happening in the world to walk them through the door, and then eventually pulled the old "bait-and-switch" tactic on them (using Revelation 19:10 as my justification for doing so) while I waited for them to un-Biblically "Make A Decision For Christ" since "Time is running out so you should choose Him today instead of waiting any longer!"

What a guy, huh?

Yes, I even had a very popular blog and podcast for several years too (Look Up Fellowship and Look Up Fellowship Media); popular for all the wrong reasons though. I only mention that because it's been exhilarating and, at times, even extremely challenging to have done a complete 180 in such a short period of time when it comes to my faith about what the Bible actually says about all the aspects of contemporary teachings pertaining to God's Word in general and Bible prophecy in particular.

Praise the Lord for what He's done for me in the past year, but it's certainly been a painful process for sure. I mean, to learn the Lutheran perspective on eschatology and how it differs so much from the one I've cherished, maintained, nurtured, protected, and yes, even taught myself and others as being pure "Gospel truth" for so long has been difficult.

I'm discovering that so much of what I thought I knew about "last days" theology was wrong, and so it's like I'm coming to grips with that harsh reality and all the baggage that obviously comes with it. Feelings of fear and guilt grip me when I think about the countless family members, friends, and even complete strangers who I thought I was helping even though I fed them false teaching.

Lord, please forgive me and have mercy on me for leading any of your little ones astray!

Sure, I was always careful to cite Acts 17:11 and encouraged anyone and everyone who I crossed paths with to never take my word for anything, and that they should first sit down with their Bible open and actually read the passages I reference, compare them to other passages in the text, and then meditate on it before reaching any conclusions about whether I was "right" or "wrong" in the things that I taught.

Well, sadly, I'm here to admit publicly that I was wrong about a lot. No, not about the Gospel, or the things I sometimes shared that had nothing to do with end times Bible prophecy, but I can honestly say that nearly 100% of the things I believed and taught about that subject I have now learned are not completely true to God's Word.

How did I rationalize teaching what I believed to be true about Bible prophecy when I knew there were some problems with my perspective that I couldn't explain or fully understand myself? I did what most people do. I hid behind the "Well, That's Just Your Interpretation" defense when, in reality, that was a shameful way of handling and presenting God's holy Word to His sheep.

But it was easy for me to accept this rationalization only when it came to eschatology, because that was a portion of the Scriptures that was universally thought to be "confusing" and "symbolic" anyway. Come to think of it, I even hid behind the words of another dead Pastor.

At the very outset I warn the reader of these pages that he will find here nothing deep or abstruse. I have purposely avoided everything that can be called speculative or conjectural. I have strictly confined myself to a few great prophetical principles, which appear to me written as it were with a sunbeam. I have not attempted to expound such portions of God's Word as Ezekiel's temple or the symbolical visions of Revelation. I have not ventured to fix any dates. I have not tried to settle the precise order or manner in which predictions of things to come are to be fulfilled. There is nothing I dislike so much in prophetical inquiry as dogmatism or positiveness. Much of the discredit which has fallen on prophetical study has arisen from the fact that many students instead of expounding prophecy have turned prophets themselves.

If anyone asks me what my prophetical opinions are, I am quite ready to give him an answer. Cautious and doubtful as I feel on some points, there are certain great principles about which I have fully made up my mind. I have held by them firmly for more than twenty­five years and have never had my opinion shaken about them. I have lived in the belief of them for a quarter of a century, and in the belief of them I hope to die. The older I grow, the more do I feel convinced of their truth, and the more satisfied am I that no other principles can explain the state of the Church and the world.

One thing only I wish to premise before making my statement. The reader must distinctly understand that I do not put forth my prophetical views as articles of faith but only as my private opinions. I do not say that nobody can be saved who does not agree with me about prophecy. I am not infallible. I am very sensible that holier and better men than myself do not see these subjects with my eyes and think me utterly mistaken. I condemn nobody; I judge nobody. I only ask liberty to hold and state distinctly my own views. The day will decide who is right. It is the new heart and faith in Christ's blood which are absolutely necessary to salvation. The man who knows these two things experimentally may be wrong about prophecy, but he will not miss heaven.

Yeah, um, no. He was wrong. I was wrong to assert that he was right.

At this point, you may be wondering why anyone would even admit something like this publicly. Simply put, for me, being a Christian means being able to admit when I am wrong wrong, being able to admit when I have sinned against God and against my brethren, and being able to humble myself with a contrite heart before Almighty God, and to confess those sins, recall His unmerited but precious forgiveness, grace, and mercy, and then turn from such sin and move on, redeemed and forgiven by His grace and mercy.

So, here I stand. A once staunch Dispensationalist, Pre-Tribulation Rapture proponent, and Pre-Millenialist turned Amillennialist all in a matter of months! The crazy part? Unlike so many of my colleagues, I've actually taken the time in the past to study the Amillennialist position, but it never made much sense to me like it does today. I guess you could say that something like scales fell from my eyes, and I am able to see clearly (Acts 9:18).

In short, I'm learning the truth for the first time -- again.

First, what is "Amillennialism" exactly?

Amillennialism (Greek: a- "no" + millennialism) is the mainstream Christian end-times theology, named for its rejection of the theory that Jesus Christ will have a literal, thousand-year-long, physical reign on the earth. This is in opposition to premillennial and some postmillennial interpretations of chapter 20 of the Book of Revelation. In contrast, the amillennial view holds that the thousand years mentioned in Revelation 20 is a symbolic number, not a literal description; that the millennium has already begun and is identical with the current church age, (or more rarely, that it ended with the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70—see Preterism). Amillennialism holds that while Christ's reign during the millennium is spiritual in nature, at the end of the church age, Christ will return in final judgment and establish a permanent reign in the new heaven and new earth. Many proponents dislike the name amillennialism because it emphasizes their differences with premillennialism rather than their beliefs about the millennium. "Amillennial" was actually coined in a pejorative way by those who hold premillennial views. Some proponents also prefer alternate terms such as nunc-millennialism (that is, now-millennialism) or realized millennialism, although the acceptance and widespread usage of these other names has been limited.

Now, you also have to realize how significant this change is in my life.

After all, it it was Bible Prophecy that the Lord used to get my attention and draw me to Him after September 11th, 2001 when I went searching for answers to what was really happening in the world.

I thought it was me who was interested in Him and His creation, and me who went searching for Him on my own accord, but Romans 3:11 and John 6:44 tell me otherwise though.

Plus, while I was never the typical "Pin-The-Tail-On-The-Antichrist" type, I did spend way too much time looking for "signs of the times" using the news headlines of the day to help me interpret the Bible rather than the other way around.

One thing's for certain though. Despite this recent change, I will never possess a disdain for Christians who regularly study the prophecies recorded for us in the Holy Bible. Why? Because two specific verses in the Book of Revelation are pretty clear I think.

Revelation 1:3 (ESV) Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.

Revelation 19:10 (ESV) Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God.” For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

So, not only is there a special blessing available to believers who read the Book of Revelation, but more importantly, "the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy" too, which means it's all about Jesus Christ Himself, which makes perfect sense since nearly a third of the holy Scriptures are prophetic in nature as well as the fact that the Bible speaks of the Lord and Savior's Second Coming almost twice as much as His First.

But therein lies the simple truth that I had somehow failed to pick up on all this time! It's so straightforward that I can't believe I never noticed it before! The Bible says that "the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy" and that means that all of it is always and only about Him, right? So then why do Dispensationalists (mainly those of the "Late Great Planet Earth" and the "Left Behind" persuasion) make the foundation not about Christ, but about the Jew, and about Israel? Think about it. No, prayerfully consider this fact right now, because this was the key deciding factor that God used to wake me up and get me to see the truth. Everything I used to believe and teach about end times Bible prophecy was Jew/Israel-focused instead of it being Jesus Christ-focused and that's a major problem, my dear friends. Yet, when you switch the two and put them back in their rightful place, then that's when everything else begins to finally make sense and come into focus! Furthermore, do we read the prophetic portions of the Bible in light of their New Testament fulfillment, or do Old Testament prophecies tell us what the New Testament writers mean before the New Testament writers are even on the scene? The latter is highly problematic. Does the New Testament interpret the Old Testament in light of Christ's coming?

So, here I stand. Here we stand. What is our collective response to such truths? What should it be?

What I'd like to do in the remainder of this message is merely share with you the very things that the Lord used to help me become an Amillennialist, or a true Bible-based Christian on the subject of the end times.

By the way, and as a brief aside, can I just say that the label "Amillenialist" is severely flawed in that it communicates something that isn't true about what people like me believe. We do, in fact, believe in a "Millennium" like God's Word talks about. We just don't believe it will be the kind that Dispensationalists believe it to be.

Ok, so if the Amillennialist position is so Biblical, then why the continued apprehension of most Christians (Lutherans in particular) to any mention of the "P" word? For instance, despite everything that's going on in the world today that proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that we are living in the prophesied "last days" (which actually began a long, long time ago and ever since Jesus' death and resurrection), there are still some who willingly choose to ignore several portions of the Biblical text.

Here's an example that I received awhile ago that was sitting in my email inbox.

St. Michael and All Angels–September 29, 2013

Daniel 10:10-14, 12:1-3 “And there shall be a time of trouble” Vs. 12:1 Daniel is told to anticipate a time of great trouble. This time of trouble, coming as it does in the latter days, occasions much human speculation. Curious people caught up in the need to know how it will go with them in particular during those latter days… curious people search through the apocalyptic books of Ezekiel, Daniel, and Revelation. They search through all the assorted bits of Scripture dealing with eschatology… dealing with the end. Much speculation has been written about when those latter days will be and how it will be with those who endure those days of trouble. As pastor of a congregation, I’d occasionally get a query, “Pastor, don’t you think we’re living in the end times?” I’d usually respond, “Sure I do, there isn’t any of us more than one breath away from their end.” Speculating about the end time—the latter day--isn’t any more fruitful than speculating about the end of our time. The sense of urgency should always be with us. It’s always a good time to repent. The Lord has shrouded these things in his mystery and “no one knows the day or the hour, only the Father.” (Matthew 24:36) As for the time of great trouble… well, we do have a prophetic statement from Jesus regarding trouble: “In this world, you will have trouble…” (John 16:33) Trouble, trouble, and more trouble… Now and in those latter days, the world—and that means you and I—the world knows trouble… trouble with only one resolution and it, too, comes as a word from Jesus: “Take heart, I have conquered the world.” (John 16:33) We receive what Daniel received, reassurance. After his long conversation with the angel, Daniel is told, “Go your way…” (Daniel 12:9 & 13) So, you can go your way, as well: the Lord is in charge; he will deliver the people from the “trouble;” and, in the end, those whose names are written in the Book of Life will rise to eternal life. Just so you know the truth about your name, the Lord has sent a preacher to tell you. Table Talk: Recall the various “dates” of the end time; did they occur? Pray: Heavenly Father, hold us in the faith Christ until the end. Amen 

[VIA: Institute of Lutheran Theology / Table Talk]

Look, I get it. Fidelity to God's Word is of the utmost importance for us, and so subjective analysis and speculation must not replace good, sound Hermeneutics (a fancy schmancy word for "The Proper Study of God's Word").

Plus, it doesn't help that guys like Harold Camping and countless others who have a computer and Internet access contribute to making a "shipwreck" of the faith (1 Timothy 1:19) being the "ravenous wolves" in sheep's clothing that they are (Matthew 7:15), but that is no excuse for us to ignore the subject completely.

It's in the Bible for a reason, my dear friends. That reason? It strengthens our faith and gives us hope to see things happening precisely the way the Lord said they would. It's just a shame that the the soon return of the Messiah doesn't cause people to take notice, especially my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ from around the world who should be watching and waiting with an expectant, hopeful, joyful heart (Hebrews 9:28; Titus 2:13; Acts 1:11; Luke 21:28).

You know, it reminds me of 2 Peter 3:3-4 that says, "Knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. They will say, 'Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.'"
The chorus of criticism shouted from the "scoffers" and directed at concerned believers like me, who merely try to be a "watchman" on the wall (Isaiah 21:6) in order to sound the alarm that we're living on borrowed time, is not surprising in light of that verse, and in light of those "ravenous wolves" in "sheep's clothing" (Matthew 7:15) who have set dates that came and went just like each and every day before it.

Folks, no one's setting dates here. My only intention is that you prayerfully consider the true as it pertains to this popular subject that is prophecy.

Please don't misunderstand me either. It took awhile, but praise the Lord that He has taught me that while being aware of the so-called "signs of the times" is important (since we are all called to be "watchful" and "prayerful" in looking toward His return), it is not what the Christian life is all about.

Someone once told me that I can't "Major In The Minors, And Minor In The Majors" and that was excellent godly counsel. In other words, I can't spend all of my time focused on Bible prophecy at the expense of studying the rest of God's Word in the same manner. I just can't (and you shouldn't either).

Dearly beloved, with everything that was presented to this point, I would like to conclude by sharing some EXTREMELY HELPFUL resources I found over at the Worldview Everlasting website that will give you a solid grasp of the Lutheran perspective (a.k.a. the truly Biblical, orthodox perspective) on Bible Prophecy.

But be warned! If you're coming from a traditional Baptist/Calvinist/Evangelical/Reformed or even a Non-Denominational background in a "Theology of Last Things" like I was, then you should be prepared to have your entrenched positions challenged every step of the way. The good news? You can also rest assured that they will be challenged Biblically every single step of the way.

Still, for someone like me who has been a hardcore "Dispensationalist" for the last 12 years, this was not an easy pill to swallow at first. Bottom line? The "end" began with Jesus Christ's redemptive work -- not the birth of the nation of Israel (Acts 2:17; Hebrews 1). The New Testament interprets the Old Testament -- not the other way around since that was Jesus' own hermeneutic (Luke 24; 2 Corinthians 3:4). It's a Christ-centered reading of the Bible, not an Israel-centered reading of the Bible (Revelation 19:10). It's not "Replacement Theology" either, but "Expansion Theology" (Romans 9-11) as I've heard someone say before.

Eschatology: 12 Expectations For The End Times 

AUDIO: A Critique of Dispensationalism

(Issues Etc. "Question of the Week" Links On Dispensational Theology)

AUDIO: End Times Teachings - In General

AUDIO: End Times Teachings - The Rapture

AUDIO: End Times Teachings - The Tribulation

AUDIO: End Times Teachings - The Millennium

AUDIO: End Times Teachings - Israel

(Further Excellent Reading On The Topic)

The Commission on Theology and Church Relation’s (CTCR) 2004 Report Entitled “A Lutheran Response to the Left Behind Series”

A Bible Study on the Lutheran Response to the Left Behind Series, written by Rev. Dr. R. Reed Lessing on behalf of the CTCR

Like I said, those are all VERY GOOD Biblical resources, and ones we should familiarize ourselves with.

I will say that my perspective has changed quite a bit in the last year alone due to the information presented. So much so, in fact, that I can firmly say that I am no longer a Dispensationalist, but an Amillennialist. It's also why I was glad when the Look Up Fellowship blog mysteriously and suddenly went down and why I then made every effort to remove any of my earlier writings from the Internet wherever I could find them.

To briefly summarize, I think this Q&A I found is rather helpful too.

Q: Did God “divorce” the nation of Israel? A Christian friend of mine seem to think this has important biblical significance. They cite Isaiah 50:1 and Jeremiah 3:8. The Isaiah reference actually seems to be saying the opposite, but what about Jeremiah? And why does it matter either way? ~K 

A: Dear K., In Isaiah the Lord is asking a rhetorical question with the expected answer of no. It is not the Lord who was unfaithful, but Israel. God never “divorced” Israel, rather he disciplined them for their faithlessness with the aim of bringing them to repentance. My guess is your friend is a dispensationalist of some sort who believes that when Israel rejected Jesus, God had a Plan B for Israel to be saved. Indeed the Christian church is seen as a parenthesis in God’s plan under this view. But God had Plan A from eternity to save all through the life and work of Jesus. The cross has always been Plan A from eternity. All are saved through Jesus’ atoning sacrifice. What they are doing with such passages as Isiah 50:1 is reading into them, to undergird their theological motive. Instead of focusing on God’s means of grace and his promises dispenstionalists look to the signs of the times. Particularly, the political entity of Israel. They are looking for a time when the Temple will be rebuilt. But for Christians the temple of God is now Jesus. Our hope is not the rebuilding of the temple, but Jesus and his return to resurrect believers to eternal life. But this hope of the rebuilding of the temple is why many evangelicals look to elect candidates with a clear support of Israel. But the hope for Jew and Gentile alike as we hear again and again in the New Testament is Jesus. He alone established God’s kingdom on the cross (“It is finished”) for both Jew and Gentile. As Paul writes in Ephesians 2:14: “For he himself is our peace, who has made us both [Jew and Gentile] one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility.” Peace, Pastor Gary Hall (www.stjohnsbridgeton.org) [Via]

Here's the gist of what Pastor Hall was getting at (saw this on Twitter the other day)...

At the end of the day, regardless of adiaphora, I'm left with a couple of key questions:

Why would He tell us about such things before they happened? Why does He even care?

The answer?

2 Peter 3:9-10 "The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed."

The time is coming "like a thief" for some, but in His rich grace and mercy you have been given these truths so that you don't remain willfully ignorant of them any longer.

John 3:16 (ESV) For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Yes, you should study and become somewhat familiar with what the Bible has to say about the "last days," but don't make it the only parts of the Holy Bible you study; don't become obsessed with the topic when "we have something more sure, the prophetic word" (2 Peter 1:19), with "the prophetic word" being all of God's revealed Word to us!

Yes, "the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy" (Revelation 19:10), but Hebrews 1:1-2 reminds us that "Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world." It makes perfect sense too since Jesus Christ is also the Word, or the Word that became flesh (John 1:14).

By all means, study the Word of God (2 Timothy 2:15; 2 Timothy 3:16-17), but study all of it and not just the parts you like while ignoring the parts you don't like for some reason. To reiterate, the "end" began with the coming of Christ -- not the birth of the nation of Israel. The New Testament interprets the Old Testament -- not the other way around. It's supposed to be a Christ-centered reading of the Bible, not an Israel-centered reading of the Bible (Revelation 19:10). It's not "Replacement Theology" either, but "Expansion Theology" (Romans 9-11).

In a Lutheran layman's terms, this is why I left behind the "Left Behind" mindset.




NOTE: Please understand that I'm not a called and ordained minister of God's Word and Sacraments. I'm a layman or just a regular Christian, Corporate Recruiter, Husband, Father, Friend who lives in the "City of Good Neighbors" here on the East Coast. As another Christian Blogger once wrote, "Please do not see this blog as me attempting to 'publicly teach' the faith, but view it as an informal Public Journal of sorts about my own experiences and journey, and if any of my notes here help you in any way at all, then I say, 'Praise the Lord!' but please do double check them against the Word of God and with your own Pastor." To be more specific, and relevant to the point I want to make with this disclaimer/note, please understand that I'm a relatively new convert to Confessional Lutheran who recently escaped American Evangelicalism a little more than 3 years ago now. That being said, please contact me ASAP if you believe that any of my "old beliefs" seem to have crept their way into any of the material you see published here, and especially if any of the content is inconsistent with our Confessions and Lutheran doctrine (in other words, if it's not consistent with God's Word, which our Confessions merely summarize and repeatedly point us back to over and over again) so that I can correct those errors immediately and not lead any of His little ones astray (James 3:1). Also, please be aware that you might also discover that some of the earlier/older pieces I wrote for this blog back in 2013 definitely fall into that "Old Evangelical Adam" category (and they don't have a disclaimer like this) since I was a "Lutheran-In-Name-Only" at the time and was completely oblivious to the fact that a Christian "Book of Concord" even existed (Small/Large Catechism? What's that!?!). This knowledge of the Lutheran basics was completely foreign to me even though I was baptized, confirmed, and married in an LCMS church! So, there are some entries that are a little "out there" so-to-speak since the subject matter was also heavy influenced by those old beliefs of mine. I know that now and I'm still learning. Anyway, I decided to leave those published posts up on this website and in cyberspace only because they are not blasphemous/heretical, because I now have this disclaimer, and only to demonstrate the continuing work of Christ and the Holy Spirit in my life (Hebrews 12:2; Philippians 1:6). Most importantly, please know that any time I engage in commenting on and/or interpreting a specific portion of the holy Scriptures, it will always closely follow the verse-by-verse footnotes from my Lutheran Study Bible and/or include references to the Book of Concord unless otherwise noted. Typically, I defer to what other Lutheran Pastors both past and present have already preached and taught about such passages since they are the called and ordained under-shepherds of our souls here on earth. Finally, I'm going to apologize ahead of time for the length of most entries (this disclaimer/note is a perfect example of what I mean! haha). I'm well aware that blogs should be short, sweet, and to the point, but I've never been one to follow the rules when it comes to writing. Besides, this website is more like a "Christian Dude's Diary" in the sense that everything I write about and share publicly isn't always what's "popular" or "#trending" at the time, but is instead all the things that I'm studying myself at the moment. For better or for worse, these posts tend to be much longer than most blog entries you'll find elsewhere only because I try to pack as much info as possible into a single piece so that I can refer to it again and again over time if I need to (and so that it can be a valuable resource for others -- if possible, a "One-Stop-Shop" of sorts). Thank you for stopping by and thank you in advance for your time, help, and understanding. Feel free to comment/email me at any time. Grace and peace to you and yours!  

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