Manual on the Millennium: Handbook for the Study of the End Times

By Dr. Roger W. Maslin

Manual on the Millennium is an examination of the viewpoints concerning the nature of the millennium and how they relate to the associated end-time events. The author argues for his own personal viewpoint, as well as with the problems inherent in interpreting those events that are so popular with the dispensational pre-millennialist views. He provides a fresh examination of such subjects as the postponed kingdom, the restoration of Israel, rebuilding the temple, the Battle of Armageddon, the Antichrist, and the seventy weeks of Daniel.

The author maintains that the arbitrary interpretation of the millennium of Revelation as a literal period of a thousand years as a whole does not fit the judgment teachings of the New Testament or the complete message of the return of Christ, in context with the rest of the Scriptures.

The proper interpretation of the nature of the millennium is foundational to understanding the prophetic message of the New Testament. This work is designed to be a valuable resource and handbook for the study of end-time events for the serious Bible student.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Nov 18, 2015
• ISBN: 9781512704662

Dr. Roger W. Maslin

Roger Maslin was born and raised on a small farm in the Appalachian area of Pennsylvania. He was converted to Christ in the home and soon was baptized in the Chemung River and joined the closest Baptist church. He studied agriculture for four years in high school until his conversion to Christ and his call to preach. He then pursued studying for the ministry at the nearest Bible college. He followed by earning a BA in Bible at Wheaton College, an MA in religion at Baylor University, an MDiv from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and a Doctorate of Ministry at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. His pastoral ministry took him to Illinois, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Florida, where he experienced a fruitful ministry at churches in Daytona Beach, Dunedin, and Sanford. He is now retired and lives with his wife and daughter in central Florida.

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Copyright © 2015 Dr. Roger W. Maslin.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Scripture taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

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ISBN: 978-1-5127-0465-5 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-0467-9 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-0466-2 (e)

WestBow Press rev. date: 10/30/2015

CONTENTS

Acknowledgements

Preface

Part 1:   The Nature Of The Millennium

Chapter 1     Millennial Choices

Chapter 2     The Confusion Of Labels

Chapter 3     Theologians Viewpoint

Chapter 4     The Millennium Of Revelation Twenty

Chapter 5     And They Lived

Part 2:   Associated Events

Chapter 6     Postponed Kingdom

Chapter 7     The Restoration Of Israel

Chapter 8     The Battle Of Armegeddon

Chapter 9     Literal Fulfillment Of Old Testament Prophecies

Chapter 10     The Great Tribulation

Chapter 11     The Anti-Christ

Chapter 12     The Secret Rapture

Chapter 13     The Rebuilding Of The Temple

Chapter 14     Daniel’s Seventieth Week

Chapter 15     The Last Judgment

Conclusions

Appendix 1

Appendix 2

Appendix 3

Bibliography

IN HONOR OF

Martha, my wife of 66 years

A Dedicated Loving Christian,

A Lifetime Partner in Ministry

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The preceding work is by no means exhaustive, but rather a rough draft of materials I believe should be included in the discussion of such important events. The section The Millennium of Revelation Twenty is from an unpublished article which I had previously written for friends. I hope someone, sometime will present these subjects in a professional way. Several years ago I gave my library and most of my files to a young seminary student as a way to extend my ministry. I did keep some of the files on this subject. Age infirmities (I am almost 90) and lack of computer and journalistic skills also help explain why the documentation is sometimes lacking and the bibliography is fragmentary. Over the years, as I visited libraries, I made notes of interest, but did not always get complete documentation. I simply gathered material of interest. I recognize that there is a lot more to be said, but I will limit my contribution to this subject with the pages that follow. For a more thorough discussion and review of the context in the sources quoted, those with computer skills may be able to view them on the internet. At least, I think I have shown that there is an alternate and more sensible interpretation from solid, reputable conservative scholars, to the premillennial and dispensational systems.

In spite of these shortcomings, I felt it important to set down in writing the convictions that have crystallized in my mind over the period of my ministry. My earliest training was premillennial dispensational and most of my friends in the ministry have been of that persuasion. So it has been with some difficulty to work through these imbedded ideas to the positions I have stated herein. I could only wish that such a handbook were available to me before I was spoon-fed a diet of dispensational theology.

I have tried to quote the theologians in an objective manner. The theologians provide us the tools for discerning interpretation. I am writing from a pastoral viewpoint to those who aspire to be pastors and Christian workers, and for those who still have open minds to discover new truth I have used those tools extensively to arrive at and express my conclusions, and would encourage others to do the same.

The Author, June 2014

PREFACE

This is not intended to be an impartial or thorough treatment of all the millennial viewpoints contending for acceptance today. It is hardly conceivable that after many years of study my mind would still be in a vacuum with no settled conviction as to the superiority of one millennial system over the others. However, I do believe the pursuit of truth does not have to fear the outcome. The truth will stand if it is indeed truth. Where there are two or three contradictory opinions, it is impossible for all to be right. So on the basis of the evidence I have in hand, I am setting forth my conclusions and the support system as I understand it. I am open to being proved wrong in my conclusions. It would make many of my friends happy. But I believe our conclusions should be based on good exegesis and interpretative principles that honor God’s Word rather than the popular beliefs of others.

My viewpoint is not something new. Where others have written precisely concerning the A-millennial viewpoint, I have quoted from some of them, in order to throw light on the subject. Some of these writings are out of print, but they have demonstrated keen insight into the subject and have expressed it well. I am not a theological professor, but I can still read and reason at 90 years of age. I can sort out fact from theory. I am writing from a pastoral viewpoint.

For many years I have felt there should be an exhaustive Manual on the Millennium for theology students and the lay persons’ journey in the study of last things. I have not seen one that dealt with the great theologians’ conclusion on the nature of the millennium. I would love to see a concise interpretation of the many Scriptures that relate to the various millennial positions. Especially, I would like to see included related discussions on the millennial kingdom, the secret rapture, the great tribulation, the rebuilding of the temple, the judgment seat of Christ and the great white throne judgment, the restoration of Israel, the battle of Armageddon, Daniel’s seventieth week, literal fulfillment of O.T. prophecies and the anti-christ. Maybe some day someone will attempt such a project. But for now, this is my attempt to at least provide a resource handbook for Bible Colleges, accredited Christian Colleges, Seminaries, and for interested lay persons.

I have not intended for this to be a smooth, scholarly, and complete treatise on all of the end time events. Others have done that quite well. I simply want to establish the true nature of the millennium and other end time events. It is a review, if you please. It is a student handbook for the further study of end time events.

PART ONE:

The Nature Of The Millennium

CHAPTER ONE

Millennial Choices

It is difficult to define the different millennial positions since there are so many variations of each millennial positions, and that these definitions will differ with each writer. I believe the brief lists which I have prepared are a good starting point to distinguish the differences. For a more extensive description I refer you to Robert Clouse’s book, The Meaning of the Millennium.

Premillennialism:

Premillennialism is a complicated system of millennial beliefs that generally holds to certain tenets. The following is a list of the main ones:

1. Reaching all of the people groups in the world followed by a great apostasy and tumultuous signs in nature.

2. The appearance of the Anti-Christ identified as the man of sin from Thessalonians 2:3 and the Beast of Revelation.

3. A Great tribulation followed by a 1000 year period of peace and righteousness.

4. Christ will rule over His millennial kingdom, here on this earth, with a rod of iron.

5. At the end of this period there will be a great rebellion and the final phase of Christ’s second coming will take place.

Postmillennialism

Postmillennialism is the least popular today of the millennial views. Again, it is not possible to establish all of the beliefs of the different Post-millennial scholars. But I will list the main tenets:

1. The kingdom of God is present now and not yet. With this, they agree with amillennialists.

2. Christian activity will extend that growth of the kingdom.

3. The church will be very influential during this indefinite period until the consummation.

4. Evil will be greatly reduced but not eliminated during this period. After the first World War the popularity of this view began to decline.

Amillennialism

Amillennialism is the exact opposite of other millennial viewpoints. These are my selected tenets:

1. It does not hold to a universal period of righteousness before the Lord returns.

2. It recognizes the reality of the kingdom of God existing now. In fact, that is the millennial kingdom which is the indefinite period period between the first and second advents of Christ.

3. They look forward to the eternal kingdom when this present kingdom is swallowed up by the eternal.

4. They recognize that Christ is reigning now while He gathers His elect. The saints also reign with Him.

5. The end of the age occurs when Christ comes back personally and visibly to raise the dead in a general resurrection to face a general and universal judgment.

6. At that time, unbelievers will be consigned to hell and all believers will enter heaven for eternity.

7. The earth will be renovated and a new heaven and new earth will appear at the hand of our great creator.

Dispensationalism

Dispensationalism is treated separately in our description of millennial views although it is a form of Premillennialism. Premillennialism provides the foundation for it. It is also by far the most popular brand of premillennialism. There are many tenets of dispensationalism that are shared by Historic Premillennialists and many that are not. If this sounds confusing, join the crowd. I am listing some of the major tenets of dispensationalism to help shed light on the whole matter:

1. The Old Testament did not foretell the coming of this present church age. It’s focus was on the setting up of an earthly Messianic kingdom for the Israelites.

2. The Jews rejected the kingdom offered to them and so the offer was withdrawn and postponed to a further time.

3. Meanwhile the parenthesis period of the church was inaugurated. (This theory was based on their