Author, Simon.
Published, September 11, 2008.
I recently read Book XX of Saint Augustine’s City of God. What I found there was really quite remarkable. I don’t know about anyone else, but I fairly well despise Dispensationalism. I’ve had issues with it for quite some years. It reeks of Christian triumphalism and contradicts the gospel. In a nutshell, dispensationalists are the “Left Behind” crowd. My opinion of them is shaped broadly by that book series, but also by my other dabblings in the topic. Much of Evangelical America would call themselves dispensationalist. (Now, I’m sure there are some very reasonable dispensationalists out there, so I’m not throwing them all into one large, annoying basket.) My problem, until recently, was that I had not been provided with an alternative framework with which to consider the End, and interpret Revelation and Daniel etc… Thank God for Saint Augustine.
Book XX:7 outlines Augustine’s interpretation of Revelation 20:1-6, which speaks of the binding of Satan, the resurrection of the dead and the Millennium. Augustine’s interpretation of the Millennium is most astounding and pleasing! He considered that, with Christ’s first coming, the biblical Millennium, where the Church “will reign with [Christ] for the thousand years”, was, in fact, now. The moment after Christ rose and established his church on earth, the biblical Millennium began. This incredible reversal of previous, and current-day, Christian views is such that it shifts entirely the significance and place of the church within history. More on that later.
Firstly, I should explain how Augustine reconciles this idea with the fact that Revelation 20 describes Satan being chained up for a thousand years and thrown into the abyss, with a seal over him so that “he could no more lead astray the nations until the thousand years should be ended.” Chuck Missler has been known to say that if this is the case, then Satan is on a pretty long leash. However, this is precisely what Augustine holds to in City of God. Comparing Matthew 12 with Rev. 20, he concludes that Jesus was describing the Devil being tied up, and Christ was to carry off his ‘property’; those who were to become faithful to Christ, or the members of Christ’s church. “The nations” referred to, then, in Rev. 20:2, is meant to be understood as the Church. So the Devil is bound up in the abyss, with a seal over him preventing him from leading astray the members of the body of Christ. He will be unable to lead astray the Church ” ‘until the end of the thousand years’, that is, either what remains of the sixth day (which consists of one thousand years), or all of the years to come which will complete the history of the world.” (City of God, Book XX:7)
His framework following this conception outlines that the events of tribulation and persecution spoken of in the Bible have either already occurred, or will occur after the Millennium when Satan is released for a brief time. No rapture. No political powerhouse-Antichrist. No monstrous world government. No nuclear war. Augustine is very cautious and unwilling to interpret the Bible in order to determine what exact events will occur. How wise this is!
There is more detail and further interest in the remainder of Book XX, but I will wrap up by explaining why I think Augustine’s conception of the End is so excellent. Firstly, it is Biblical. Secondly, it doesn’t involve any demonization of particular people groups or political organisations. It also doesn’t bother interpreting events in any particular fashion, except that they are all meant to happen before Christ returns. Augustine also, in this conception, has made the first coming of Jesus Christ the most significant moment in redemptive history. The second coming will be outside time and the world will certainly end at that moment. This means that Christ’s life, death and resurrection are the most important combination of events that can ever occur in history. This seems to be consistent with the Bible.
Perhaps most importantly, Augustine has, in placing the Millennium in the present day, given the Church cosmic and immeadiate significance. Instead of sitting back and waiting for the rapture, the church is reigning with Christ. The Kingdom of God is certainly apparent and contemporary, not some mystical never-land which we’ll all be whisked away to at a convenient moment. We are not in an metaphoric airport terminal, as dispensationalism would have us believe. Augustine’s eschatology affirms that we, the church, are living in a significant period in history, where we are to play a significant role as leaders and rulers. Christ announced the Kingdom was at hand, and so it is. And we are in it and of it.
This is a mere summary of a small part of Augustine’s framework. It is, however, a large breath of fresh air on the subject of the End. I, for one, am frankly sick of Christians claiming that, due to a number of ridiculous reasons (the political climate, the weather, the existence of Israel as a nation-state, the growth of the EU, or the rise of China, a Democratic majority in the House of Reps.) we are about to be taken to heaven and the world will go to ‘hell in a hand-basket’.
For those of you who are interested in the details of Augustine’s case for this position, please refer to Augustine’s City of God, which is available at most bookstores.
Hmm.. sounds like some juicy stuff. I really need to read some. It seems to me though that the establishment of Israel in 1948 is fairly significant. Although, that causes so many ethical problems. Anyway, what I was going to say was that we need to read more of the old writers! St Augustine and even Plato. I find them both fascinating. It’s annoying that we get caught up in our own little bubble of history. It happens ALL the time. Thanks for the post.
During the Millennium -
The thousand years, the Millennium, will occur AFTER the Seventh Trumpet (1 Thess.4:16-17), AFTER the marriage of the Lamb has taken place in heaven, and DIRECTLY AFTER the battle of Armageddon.
AFTER the battle of Armageddon, during the Millennium, in Israel, in the valley of Hamongog, Gog (Satan) and all his multitude will be buried; for seven months Gog and all his multitude will be buried (Eze.39:11-12).
In death Gog/Satan is then bound in the bottomless pit throughout the Millennium (Re.20:1-3).
During the Millennium, they that dwell in the cities of Israel shall go forth, and shall set on fire and burn the weapons; they shall burn them with fire seven years (Eze.39:9-10).
During the Millennium, the KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS (Re.19:16 - Jesus) will rule all nations with a rod of iron (Re.12:5, Re.19:15).
God will spare ONE-SIXTH part (Eze.39:2) of the heathen who will go into the Millennium. They will repopulate the earth (Re.20:8) their numbers growing as the sand of the sea (Re.20:8).
During the Millennium, every one that is left of all the nations (Eze.39:2) WHICH CAME AGAINST Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles (Zech.14:16). And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain (Zech.14:17). And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain; there shall be the plague, wherewith the LORD will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles (Zech.14:18). This shall be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles (Zech.14:19).
The Lamb’s wife (Re.19:7), the saints of the most High (Dan.7:22), the church (1 Cor.10:32) throughout all ages (Eph.3:21), will live AND reign WITH Christ throughout the thousand years.
During the Millennium, the immortal saints will judge the world (Dan.7:22, 1 Cor.6:2-3, Re.20:4).
During the Millennium, the saints of the most High (Christ Jesus’ wife) are the glory set among the heathen (Eph.39:21).
Patricia (©) Bible Prophecy on the Web
Author of the self-study aid, The Book of Revelation Explained © 1982
Thanks Patricia,
I get the feeling you might be an automated message of some sort, but I shall still respond.
I am yet to investigate the scripture references you have provided here. I’m slightly confused as to what your point is; in fact you probably don’t have one. You’re probably just providing some other information. Or you’re an automated message. If you’re trying to say something in particular, I would be interested to hear it.
I don’t think that what you have shown here, and what i have shown, are necessarily contradictory. It all comes down to how you choose to interpret such scriptures. If you are confident that what you read into them is what was intended, then OK. However, I tend to side with Augustine, and am very hesitant to read too much into prophetic biblical texts. Also, I choose to be cautious in trying to interpret or read into contemporary events. As Adam has said, we get stuck our own little bubble of history and think that what happens now is most significant. The truth is every generation, every decade, every period in history, has seen predictions that ‘the end is nigh’. So, I ask, then; why are we any different? I suggest that there is no answer, except ‘We aren’t’. Any other answer is arrogant and short sighted.
I agree.
Oh, to have returned to me the wasted I’ve spent arguing with people about the rapture. To suggest that we’re not in any time of tribulation until after our little flying session somewhat slaps a good few million martyrs in the face, yes?
The only thought I have about St. Augustine, apart from having a nice sense of logic, is that I’m pretty sure he died of stigmata, which is always a cause for concern.
I like your thinking, Simon.
The morning after our youth group went to see ‘Left Behind’, I woke up at the crack of six(extremely unusual) and basically flipped through revelation, and as I went through God is showing me how this verse clearly dispels this theory and that verse strikes down that one…
It was so, so very obvious just how wrong- and frankly, arrogant- it was to think that way. How typical of the western church to invent some sort of a sub-faith that requires no trials or tribulation to upset your pretty little God box.
I think I’m done.
Thanks for that, Josh. I’m glad you read the post! I agree with your last sentence. That is, the one before you say “I think I’m done.” You’ve pretty well summed it up there.