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Introduction
What is the hope of the saints? In a nutshell it is this: The material world in which we live was created perfect but fell under a curse because of man’s sin. Our earnest expectation is that according to God’s promise, it will one day be restored to the state in which God originally designed it. Man was created to dwell on this earth and the destiny and hope of believers is Christ's coming eschatological Kingdom in which the physical creation will be redeemed from the bondage of corruption. The Bible calls this “a new heaven and new earth.” Moreover, our vile bodies will be resurrected and glorified and the Messiah will reign over this world in a Kingdom that will never pass away. When Christ returns, we will be judged and given our reward and inheritance in His kingdom.
We are delighted to read in their position statement that our Amillennial brothers agree with us that the destiny of the saints is not an immaterial heaven, but a physical, material earth that will be restored to its former state at the Second Coming of Christ. In fact, there is much that we agree with in the Amillennial position statement and certain statements are well worth repeating, including this one.
QUOTE
The foremost consideration when studying Scripture must be to establish the contextual meaning of the text, whether it is literal, symbolic or parabolic, and what and when it relates to. We must also let other Scripture corroborate our understanding of it and shed further light on the meaning of the text in question. We must always interpret Scripture in a manner that does not conflict with other clear passages. If it does, that interpretation must be rejected and further study should be committed to determine the correct interpretation that harmonizes with the full context of Scripture.
We could not agree more wholeheartedly. And in view of this statement, we challenge our Amillennial brothers to recognize that the Hope upon which we have agreed was not introduced in the last three chapters of the Bible nor even in the New Testament. It is the Hope of all the saints of all the ages. Indeed, according to the apostle Peter in Acts 3:21, this hope “was spoken by the mouth of ALL His holy prophets since the world began.”
The Chiliast position does not rest on any single passage of Scripture or even on a dozen. It is derived from the progressive revelation and harmony of literally hundreds of passages of Scripture, all considered within their proper contexts, and allowing the straightforward meaning of numerous clear passages to explain those that are more difficult. We must consider everything that “was spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.” Only then can we affirm with the apostle Paul, “But this I confess to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect, so I worship the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the Law and in the Prophets.” (Acts 24:14)
In our opinion, the weakness of the Amillennial position is that it considers only a small fraction of the Scriptural data. And because it fails to establish the proper contextual understanding of the passages it does use, it comes to erroneous conclusions.
In this paper, we will demonstrate this harmony of Scriptures regarding that period of time following the Day of the Lord (the Second Coming of Christ). We will show that all of the details prophesied in these passages are accounted for in the Chiliast position. We challenge our brothers to account for all of these details within their system. It is one thing to say that these passages are fulfilled “in another way.” It is quite another to explain exactly what this other way is.
The Hope is found in the oldest Scriptures.
The oldest book in the Bible, the Book of Job, is the first to record this hope.
23 "Oh, that my words were written!
Oh, that they were inscribed in a book!
24 That they were engraved on a rock
With an iron pen and lead, forever!
25 For I know that my Redeemer lives,
And He shall stand at last on the earth;
26 And after my skin is destroyed, this I know,
That in my flesh I shall see God,
27 Whom I shall see for myself,
And my eyes shall behold, and not another.
How my heart yearns within me! Job 19 (NKJV)
Job expresses a two-fold hope. One, he foresees the Redeemer “standing at last on the earth” (v 25). Secondly, he expects his body to be resurrected (after his “skin is destroyed”) and to see this great event with his own physical eyes (v 26). Because this is the earliest expression of the hope of the saints recorded in Scripture, it will be instructive to consider how this expression is properly understood in the light of progressive revelation. There is both a proper approach and an improper approach.
In a proper approach, we can observe that there are many details we do not find here that will be added to the expression of this hope later in the progress of revelation. For example, we will later learn that there are two advents of the Redeemer and the resurrection of which Job speaks will occur at the latter. We cannot know this only by reading Job, but it is made clear by later revelation. This advent will follow a great battle. This advent of the Redeemer will include not only resurrection of dead saints such as Job, but also the instantaneous change of living saints into glorified bodies. This advent will be accompanied by judgments. The exact location where the Redeemer will stand will be revealed. And there are numerous other details we could list.
To illustrate an improper approach, we will borrow from the interpretation Preterism attaches to this passage. Within the Preterist system, the Redeemer does not actually “stand” on the earth because the Redeemer does not have feet and does not literally come to the earth, except in a “spiritual” sense. Within such a paradigm, Job is not literally resurrected and so the references to his skin, flesh and eyes symbolically mean his spirit. To a Preterist, the “resurrection” of which he speaks is a “spiritual resurrection.” Within that system, few if any of the details of Job’s statement are to be taken at face value. We consider this to be an improper approach, and in fact, this approach has led Preterists completely outside the pale of orthodoxy.
With this, we will state what we consider to be a fundamental principle of exegesis. Later prophecies build on a foundation of earlier prophecies and the proper way to examine any Bible doctrine is to start at the beginning and trace this progress of revelation forward. In the progress of Revelation, we will see the Hope of the saints first expressed by Job expanded to include a myriad of details. But we will NEVER see the essence of this hope contradicted or superceded.
This hope is the substance of the Abrahamic Covenant.
6I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you.
7 And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you.
8 Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God." Gen 17
There was no such thing as Jews and Gentiles at the time of Job, and so it would have been anachronistic for Job to say anything regarding these in the expression of his hope. But beginning with the Abrahamic covenant, God began to delineate specific promises to specific people regarding their Hope. God promised to the descendants of Abraham the land of Canaan as an everlasting possession (v 8). This is much more than what was revealed to Job, but many more details are yet to be included in this hope and will be part of later revelation.
This hope is carried into the Psalms and is not limited to the borders of Canaan.
7 "I will declare the decree:
The LORD has said to Me,
"You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You.
8 Ask of Me, and I will give You
The nations for Your inheritance,
And the ends of the earth for Your possession.
9 You shall break them with a rod of iron;
You shall dash them to pieces like a potter's vessel. Psalm 2
9For evildoers shall be cut off;
But those who wait on the LORD,
They shall inherit the earth.
10 For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more;
Indeed, you will look carefully for his place,
But it shall be no more.
11 But the meek shall inherit the earth,
And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace...
17 For the arms of the wicked shall be broken,
But the LORD upholds the righteous.
18 The LORD knows the days of the upright,
And their inheritance shall be forever.
19 They shall not be ashamed in the evil time,
And in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.
20 But the wicked shall perish;
And the enemies of the LORD,
Like the splendor of the meadows, shall vanish.
Into smoke they shall vanish away.
21 The wicked borrows and does not repay,
But the righteous shows mercy and gives.
22 For those blessed by Him shall inherit the earth,
But those cursed by Him shall be cut off…
27 Depart from evil, and do good;
And dwell forevermore.
28 For the LORD loves justice,
And does not forsake His saints;
They are preserved forever,
But the descendants of the wicked shall be cut off.
29 The righteous shall inherit the land,
And dwell in it forever...
34 Wait on the LORD,
And keep His way,
And He shall exalt you to inherit the land;
When the wicked are cut off, you shall see it.
35 I have seen the wicked in great power,
And spreading himself like a native green tree.
36 Yet he passed away, and behold, he was no more;
Indeed I sought him, but he could not be found.
37 Mark the blameless man, and observe the upright;
For the future of that man is peace.
38 But the transgressors shall be destroyed together;
The future of the wicked shall be cut off.
39 But the salvation of the righteous is from the LORD;
He is their strength in the time of trouble.
40 And the LORD shall help them and deliver them;
He shall deliver them from the wicked,
And save them,
Because they trust in Him. Psalm 37
This hope is continued and expanded in the Davidic Covenant
12 “When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 I will be his Father, and he shall be My son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men. 15 But My mercy shall not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from before you. 16 And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever.” 2 Samuel 7
28 My mercy I will keep for him forever,
And My covenant shall stand firm with him.
29 His seed also I will make to endure forever,
And his throne as the days of heaven.
30 “If his sons forsake My law
And do not walk in My judgments,
31 If they break My statutes
And do not keep My commandments,
32 Then I will punish their transgression with the rod,
And their iniquity with stripes.
33 Nevertheless My lovingkindness I will not utterly take from him,
Nor allow My faithfulness to fail.
34 My covenant I will not break,
Nor alter the word that has gone out of My lips.
35 Once I have sworn by My holiness;
I will not lie to David:
36 His seed shall endure forever,
And his throne as the sun before Me;
37 It shall be established forever like the moon,
Even like the faithful witness in the sky.” Selah Psalm 89
In 2 Samuel 7 and 1 Chronicles 17 and again echoed in Psalm 89, God made a promise to David that included at least three elements. 1) David would have a son who would build the temple (2 Sam 7:13 - literally fulfilled by Solomon). 2) David’s descendants will not lose the throne despite their sin, although this sin would be severely chastised (Psalm 89). 3) David’s throne, house, and kingdom will be established forever (2 Sam 7:29).
This hope remains unchanged in the Prophets.
The Prophetic Books contain an incredible number of details regarding the hope of “the restoration of all things” to which Peter made allusion in Acts 3. And so we have the choice of literally hundreds of verses we could quote. In the interest of space, we will not quote hundreds of verses. Instead, we will offer five passages as being representative of the Hebrew Prophetic Scriptures. These are Isaiah 2, 11, Ezekiel 47, Haggai 2 and Zechariah 14.
We choose these for several reasons. Isaiah was a pre-exilic prophet, that is, he prophesied before the Babylonian exile. Ezekiel prophesied during the exile. And Haggai and Zechariah prophesied after the exile. We continue to see later prophecies (Haggai, Zechariah) building on earlier ones (Isaiah). And yet, there is perfect harmony between the eschatological details presented by these prophets. Although we still observe details being continually added as we trace this doctrine, we NEVER see any being contradicted. In addition, these prophecies mention very specific details regarding known geographic features and named locations. They mention specific changes in the physical earth and in the natural order. They speak of details regarding the worship of the saints following the Second Coming and of details regarding the reign of the Messiah on earth following His Second Coming. Are these also symbolic? If so, how?
Isaiah 2
1 The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
2 Now it shall come to pass in the latter days
That the mountain of the LORD’s house
Shall be established on the top of the mountains,
And shall be exalted above the hills;
And all nations shall flow to it.
3 Many people shall come and say,
“ Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,
To the house of the God of Jacob;
He will teach us His ways,
And we shall walk in His paths.”
For out of Zion shall go forth the law,
And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
4 He shall judge between the nations,
And rebuke many people;
They shall beat their swords into plowshares,
And their spears into pruning hooks;
Nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
Neither shall they learn war anymore.
There are several specific details we would like to point out from this passage. First of all, this prophecy is specifically “concerning Judah and Jerusalem” (v1) The term “Judah” can refer to the son of Jacob called by that name, to a specific people (the tribe descended from him and known by that name) or to a specific place (the land assigned to this tribe which later, along with Benjamin, comprised the southern kingdom). The term “Jerusalem” however can only refer to the city where the Lord chose to place His name. Thus, when the two terms are used together this way, it is highly likely that the place is in view. This also follows from the fact that the vision in fact concerns not only the tribe of Judah but in fact, all nations and people who will come to the geographical place known as Judah and Jerusalem.
The “mountain of the Lord’s house” (v 2) is Mount Moriah within Jerusalem. This is the place where the Lord’s house was built by Solomon. When Christ returns, this mountain will stand at the head of the mountains because it will be the center of Christ’s Messianic rule. This is stated explicitly in the last phrase of verse 2 and verse 3. Zion is the mountain in Jerusalem where King David built his palace and it came to be used as a synonym for the city. “All nations” (v 2) and “many people” (v 3) will come to Jerusalem and to the house of God (the temple) during the Messiah’s reign. Other passages will speak in greater detail about the reason these nations will come to Jerusalem. We will refer to these shortly. In verse 4 we are told that during the reign of the Messiah over this world, there will be no war. The fact that there is currently warfare being waged and blood being shed on six of earth’s seven continents certainly proves that these conditions are not now prevailing. Every single detail of this prophecy is corroborated in other passages.
Isaiah 11
1 There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse,
And a Branch shall grow out of his roots.
2 The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him,
The Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
The Spirit of counsel and might,
The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD.
3 His delight is in the fear of the LORD,
And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes,
Nor decide by the hearing of His ears;
4 But with righteousness He shall judge the poor,
And decide with equity for the meek of the earth;
He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth,
And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked.
5 Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins,
And faithfulness the belt of His waist.
6 “ The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb,
The leopard shall lie down with the young goat,
The calf and the young lion and the fatling together;
And a little child shall lead them.
7 The cow and the bear shall graze;
Their young ones shall lie down together;
And the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
8 The nursing child shall play by the cobra’s hole,
And the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper’s den.
9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain,
For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD
As the waters cover the sea.
10 “ And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse,
Who shall stand as a banner to the people;
For the Gentiles shall seek Him,
And His resting place shall be glorious.”
11 It shall come to pass in that day
That the Lord shall set His hand again the second time
To recover the remnant of His people who are left,
From Assyria and Egypt,
From Pathros and Cush,
From Elam and Shinar,
From Hamath and the islands of the sea.
12 He will set up a banner for the nations,
And will assemble the outcasts of Israel,
And gather together the dispersed of Judah
From the four corners of the earth.
13 Also the envy of Ephraim shall depart,
And the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off;
Ephraim shall not envy Judah,
And Judah shall not harass Ephraim.
14 But they shall fly down upon the shoulder of the Philistines toward the west;
Together they shall plunder the people of the East;
They shall lay their hand on Edom and Moab;
And the people of Ammon shall obey them.
15 The LORD will utterly destroy the tongue of the Sea of Egypt;
With His mighty wind He will shake His fist over the River,
And strike it in the seven streams,
And make men cross over dryshod.
16 There will be a highway for the remnant of His people
Who will be left from Assyria,
As it was for Israel
In the day that he came up from the land of Egypt.
Verses 1-4 speak of the Second Coming of Christ. This is made clear by the last half of verse 4 (cf Rev 12:5 and 19:15). Verse 5 follows verse 4 chronologically. This is necessary from the Hebrew construction. In technical terms, the first verb in verse 5 (“shall be”) is a vav-consecutive perfect which means it follows the verb “slay” in time. Thus, verses 5-16 speak of the results of His Coming. Among other details of this passage, we are told of changes that will occur in the natural order. Verses 6-9 tell us that the venom and fierceness now part of the animal kingdom will be no more. In “the restoration of all things” there will apparently be great changes in the instinctive natures and in the organic physiology of the beasts of the earth. They will no longer hurt or destroy. Indeed, it is barely possible to imagine to what extent the animal and plant kingdoms have been affected by the curse. But both will be restored to their pristine state at the Second Coming of Christ.
Verse 10 speaks of Gentiles in this Kingdom just as verses 2-4 of Isaiah 2 spoke of Gentiles in the kingdom. These Gentiles are said to be under His banner, seeking Him, and resting in Him. Thus, according to these prophecies, the blessings of Christ’s kingdom are not limited to Israel but encompass Gentiles as well. In every nation are included those who can be described as “the meek of the earth.” All of these will be rewarded in the Kingdom of the Messiah. If Israel symbolizes all of the elect in these prophecies, then what do the Gentiles symbolize?
Verses 11-16 speak of the restoration and regathering of Israel. Verse 11 mentions eight specific, named locations from which the children of Israel will be regathered. These can be located on a map. If this is meant symbolically, then what is the symbolic meaning of these places? Verse 13 speaks of the reunification of Israel and Judah. Other passages also speak of this (cf Ezekiel 37). Verse 14 mentions four, specific named peoples who will be subdued under Israel during the Kingdom. These are nations who have historically oppressed the Jews. If this is symbolic, then what is the symbolic interpretation of these four nations? Verse 15 says that the tongue of the Egyptian Sea (Red Sea) will be dried up making a highway for the Children of Israel to travel across. This is also stated in Isaiah 51:10-11 where it is said that it will be just like when God allowed His people to cross the Red Sea the first time when He brought them out of Egypt.
If all of this is symbolic, then what are the meanings for all of these symbols? We have so far only looked at two passages in the Prophetic Books and already the number of details is rapidly increasing. Jesus said that “not one jot or tittle would pass from the Law until all is fulfilled.” So if these passages do not mean what they say, then please tell us what they do mean.
Ezekiel 47
13 Thus says the Lord GOD: “These are the borders by which you shall divide the land as an inheritance among the twelve tribes of Israel. Joseph shall have two portions. 14 You shall inherit it equally with one another; for I raised My hand in an oath to give it to your fathers, and this land shall fall to you as your inheritance.
15 “This shall be the border of the land on the north: from the Great Sea, by the road to Hethlon, as one goes to Zedad, 16 Hamath, Berothah, Sibraim (which is between the border of Damascus and the border of Hamath), to Hazar Hatticon (which is on the border of Hauran). 17 Thus the boundary shall be from the Sea to Hazar Enan, the border of Damascus; and as for the north, northward, it is the border of Hamath. This is the north side.
18 “On the east side you shall mark out the border from between Hauran and Damascus, and between Gilead and the land of Israel, along the Jordan, and along the eastern side of the sea. This is the east side.
19 “The south side, toward the South, shall be from Tamar to the waters of Meribah by Kadesh, along the brook to the Great Sea. This is the south side, toward the South.
20 “The west side shall be the Great Sea, from the southern boundary until one comes to a point opposite Hamath. This is the west side.
21 “Thus you shall divide this land among yourselves according to the tribes of Israel. 22 It shall be that you will divide it by lot as an inheritance for yourselves, and for the strangers who dwell among you and who bear children among you. They shall be to you as native-born among the children of Israel; they shall have an inheritance with you among the tribes of Israel. 23 And it shall be that in whatever tribe the stranger dwells, there you shall give him his inheritance,” says the Lord GOD.
This division of the Land of Canaan in the Kingdom of the Messiah is continued in Chapter 48. The reason for bringing it up is to pose this question. Is this literal? If not, then what is the symbolic meaning of the detailed description of, and references to, known geographic locations? If this is to be taken allegorically, then what is the correct allegorical interpretation? What is the “spiritual” meaning of Hethlon (v 15), Zedad (v 15), Hamath (v 16), Berothah (v 16), Sibraim (v 16) and Hazar Enan (v 17) etc…?
Also note that verse 21 says that the land will be “divided by lot as an inheritance.” This is also spoken of personally to the prophet Daniel in Daniel 12 with reference to the resurrection.
“But you, go your way till the end; for you shall rest, and will arise to your inheritance at the end of the days.” Dan 12:13 (NKJV)
But go thou thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days. (KJV)
Question: Will Daniel be resurrected to inherit a portion of the Land of Canaan at the Second Coming of Christ?
Haggai 2
1 In the seventh month, on the twenty-first of the month, the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet, saying: 2 “Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people, saying: 3 ‘Who is left among you who saw this temple in its former glory? And how do you see it now? In comparison with it, is this not in your eyes as nothing? 4 Yet now be strong, Zerubbabel,’ says the LORD; ‘and be strong, Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest; and be strong, all you people of the land,’ says the LORD, ‘and work; for I am with you,’ says the LORD of hosts. 5 ‘According to the word that I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt, so My Spirit remains among you; do not fear!’
6 “For thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Once more (it is a little while) I will shake heaven and earth, the sea and dry land; 7 and I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations, and I will fill this temple with glory,’ says the LORD of hosts. 8 ‘The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine,’ says the LORD of hosts. 9 ‘The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former,’ says the LORD of hosts. ‘And in this place I will give peace,’ says the LORD of hosts…”
20 And again the word of the LORD came to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month, saying, 21 “Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying:
‘ I will shake heaven and earth.
22 I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms;
I will destroy the strength of the Gentile kingdoms.
I will overthrow the chariots
And those who ride in them;
The horses and their riders shall come down,
Every one by the sword of his brother.
As already mentioned, Haggai prophesied after the Babylonian captivity. Specifically, Haggai prophesied to encourage and strengthen those who had returned from the captivity in rebuilding the Temple. The historical background is contained in Ezra and Nehemiah. There were actually some present that remembered the Temple of Solomon and when they saw this latter, humble Temple of Zerubabel, they wept when they considered the contrast.
Haggai spoke to them by way of encouragement and prophesied about future plans God has for the Temple in Jerusalem. He said in verse 9 that the glory of this latter temple would be greater than the former. Furthermore, he prophesies that this will happen WHEN God shakes the heaven and earth and overthrows the strength of all the Gentile kingdoms and nations with all their armies.
All of this prophecy concerns the Temple in Jerusalem. Observe that in verse 9 Haggai says, “and in this place I will give peace…” This is in beautiful harmony with Isaiah’s prophecy about the Lord’s House in Zion and the nations flowing to it and the peace that will be brought between the nations as a result of the Messiah’s reign.
What is most significant for this discussion, however, is that Paul quoted this passage in Hebrews 12 as being part of our future hope. And he used this hope exactly the same way that Haggai did, as an encouragement to perseverance in view of the coming eschatological kingdom.
25 See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven, 26 whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, “Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.” 27 Now this, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain. 28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. 29 For our God is a consuming fire.
Thus, Paul interprets Haggai 2 as a future, kingdom hope of believers. Grammatically, the time of the “receiving a kingdom” is bound to the shaking of heaven and earth. But the prophecy includes Gentiles coming to worship in the Temple that stood in Jerusalem. This ought to be our model for exactly how the Old Testament prophecies concerning the kingdom and the temple should be understood.
Zechariah 14
1 Behold, the day of the LORD is coming,
And your spoil will be divided in your midst.
2 For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem;
The city shall be taken,
The houses rifled,
And the women ravished.
Half of the city shall go into captivity,
But the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city.
3 Then the LORD will go forth
And fight against those nations,
As He fights in the day of battle.
4 And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives,
Which faces Jerusalem on the east.
And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two,
From east to west,
Makinga very large valley;
Half of the mountain shall move toward the north
And half of it toward the south.
5 Then you shall flee through My mountain valley,
For the mountain valley shall reach to Azal.
Yes, you shall flee
As you fled from the earthquake
In the days of Uzziah king of Judah.
Thus the LORD my God will come,
And all the saints with You.
6 It shall come to pass in that day
That there will be no light;
The lights will diminish.
7 It shall be one day
Which is known to the LORD—
Neither day nor night.
But at evening time it shall happen
That it will be light.
8 And in that day it shall be
That living waters shall flow from Jerusalem,
Half of them toward the eastern sea
And half of them toward the western sea;
In both summer and winter it shall occur.
9 And the LORD shall be King over all the earth.
In that day it shall be—
“ The LORD is one,”
And His name one.
10 All the land shall be turned into a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem. Jerusalem shall be raised up and inhabited in her place from Benjamin’s Gate to the place of the First Gate and the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the king’s winepresses.
11 The people shall dwell in it;
And no longer shall there be utter destruction,
But Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited.
12 And this shall be the plague with which the LORD will strike all the people who fought against Jerusalem:
Their flesh shall dissolve while they stand on their feet,
Their eyes shall dissolve in their sockets,
And their tongues shall dissolve in their mouths.
13 It shall come to pass in that day
That a great panic from the LORD will be among them.
Everyone will seize the hand of his neighbor,
And raise his hand against his neighbor’s hand;
14 Judah also will fight at Jerusalem.
And the wealth of all the surrounding nations
Shall be gathered together:
Gold, silver, and apparel in great abundance.
15 Such also shall be the plague
On the horse and the mule,
On the camel and the donkey,
And on all the cattle that will be in those camps.
So shall this plague be.
16 And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. 17 And it shall be that whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, on them there will be no rain. 18 If the family of Egypt will not come up and enter in, they shall have no rain; they shall receive the plague with which the LORD strikes the nations who do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. 19 This shall be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.
20 In that day “HOLINESS TO THE LORD” shall be engraved on the bells of the horses. The pots in the LORD’s house shall be like the bowls before the altar. 21 Yes, every pot in Jerusalem and Judah shall be holiness to the LORD of hosts. Everyone who sacrifices shall come and take them and cook in them. In that day there shall no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the LORD of hosts.
This is one of the most complete pictures given of events immediately preceding, during and following the Second Coming of Christ. Verses 1-2 speak of the gathering of all the nations of the earth against Judah and Jerusalem. Verse 3 says the Lord will go forth to battle against those nations. Verse 4 says that on that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives.
There is no opportunity to “spiritualize” this reference since the mountain is not only mentioned by name, but is further designated as the mountain, “which faces Jerusalem on the east.” The remainder of verse 4 through verse 5 describes a cataclysmic geological change that will occur when the Lord stands on the Mountain. Verse 5 closes with the words, “Thus the Lord my God will come, and all the saints with Him.”
Verses 6-9 further describe this Day of the Lord and additional geological changes that will occur in the Land of Canaan. The details of these geological changes are in harmony with other prophecies of the event (cf Ezekiel 47:1-12). And the result is stated at the end of verse 9 as, “And the Lord shall be King over all the earth.”
Verses 10-21 describe conditions and events following the Second Coming.
All the land will be turned into a plain from Geba to Rimmon. Today, this land is mountainous and it will be literally necessary for this to become a plain in order for the water flow described in verse 8 to be possible. If this is symbolic, then what does the symbolism mean?
Jerusalem shall be raised up and inhabited in her place from Benjamin’s Gate to the place of the First Gate and the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the king’s winepresses. Again, these details are very specific, referencing known locations. If this is not literal, then what is the symbolic meaning? And so on throughout the passage. Every detail of this passage is in harmony with every other passage that speaks of these events and together they form a very complete picture of the Second Coming and Millennial reign of Christ from Jerusalem over the whole earth.
Verse 16 specifically speaks of events following the Second Coming. There is no way to imagine that this symbolically describes conditions during the interadvent age because it begins by making reference to “those who are left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem” in verses 1-2 and were destroyed in verse 3. There is no escaping this.
Those of the nations who are left will go up from year to year to Jerusalem to worship the King in the Temple. This is in agreement with what we read in Isaiah 2 and 11, and in Haggai. Furthermore, there will be some in Egypt who will resist this requirement and the chastisement will be that there will be no rain. All of this is spoken of concerning events following the Second Coming. So we ask, how do our amillennial brothers interpret the details of this passage? It is one thing to assert that these things will be fulfilled “in a different way.” But we ask again, how then do you say they will be fulfilled? If not literally, then how?
Summary
There are numerous other passages we could reference. Those we have quoted we have interpreted with a consistent, natural hermeneutic. And the result is, all of the details of all of these passages harmonize with each other without contradiction. In fact, using the few passages we have observed in this paper (i.e. Job 19, Isaiah 2, 11, Ezekiel 47, Haggai 2, Zechariah 14), we can construct a simple, chronological, harmony of events surrounding the Second Coming of Christ. It is possible and desirable to construct a much more detailed list using additional passages, and in fact, Chiliasts do exactly that. We do not speak here of the celestial signs that accompany the Second Coming because these are mentioned in other passages. We do not mention the spiritual conversion of Israel at the Second Coming mentioned in Zechariah 12-13. We do not mention the angelic army. These and many other details are revealed in other passages. When all these other passages are considered, a very detailed and complete picture emerges. But the following abbreviated harmony results from using ONLY the few we have chosen to reference in this paper.
1. Immediately before the Second Coming of Christ, all the nations will be gathered to battle against Jerusalem in a great battle that is not named here. The city shall be taken and terrible suffering will ensue. The city will not completely fall, but the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city.
2. The Lord, and all the saints with Him, will descend from heaven toward the Mount of Olives.
3. Job will be resurrected to witness this event.
4. And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives… And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, from east to west, making a very large valley. Half of the mountain shall move toward the north and half of it toward the south.
5. The Jewish remnant will flee through My mountain valley.
6. The Lord will fight against those nations, overthrow the throne of kingdoms, destroy the strength of the Gentile kingdoms, overthrow the chariots and those who ride in them. The horses and their riders shall come down, very one by the sword of his brother and with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked.
7. The curse on the physical world and the animal kingdom will be removed. The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, the lion shall eat straw like the ox, and they shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain.
8. And the LORD shall be King over all the earth.
9. It shall come to pass in that day that the Lord shall set His hand again the second time to recover the remnant of His people who are left, from Assyria and Egypt, from Pathros and Cush, from Elam and Shinar, From Hamath and the islands of the sea. He will set up a banner for the nations, and will assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.
10. He shall judge between the nations, and rebuke many people. They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.
11. The wicked will be purged from the kingdom and the righteous will be given their inheritance. He will divide the land by lot as an inheritance among the twelve tribes of Israel.
12. Conditions of universal peace, safety, holiness and justice will prevail under the rule of Christ. The temple will be the gathering place of worship and instruction for all the saints and of the nations that are left. Many people shall come and say,“Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. And they shall come to the Desire of All Nations, and I will fill this temple with glory,’ says the LORD of hosts. ‘The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine,’ says the LORD of hosts. ‘The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former,’ says the LORD of hosts. ‘And in this place I will give peace,’ says the LORD of hosts…” And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.
13. The vast majority will willingly and joyfully submit to the rule of the Messiah because there will no longer be any deception, but the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.” But there will be others who are left who will resist the command to come to the Feast of Tabernacles, possibly including some in Egypt. And it shall be that whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, on them there will be no rain.
As already mentioned, there are scores of other details that could be included in this and a more complete scenario can be constructed when other passages are included in addition to these few. But what we have done is demonstrate that the basis for Chiliasm is a harmony of the Scriptural data, allowing Scripture to mean exactly what it says in the progress of revelation. We challenge our Amillennial brothers to also account for this wealth of Scriptural detail within their system using a consistent hermeneutic.
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