Does Ezekiel 40 - 48 Teach Premillennialism?

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Ezekiel

Lesson – 52 – Ezekiel 40 - 43 - Archdale church of Christ

 Russ McCullough – 8 November 2017 – “The New Temple” Part 3

“Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone, we are cut off.” – 37.10

1.   Read Ezekiel 40.1 – 4; 43.18 - 27

2.   Prayer

3.   Three kinds of eschatology or “end times.”

A._________________________________

B._________________________________

C._________________________________

4. Millennial is a term for a ___________________________.

5. Premillennialism was a popularly held in the Gnostic Apostasy from the ______ Century to the ___________.

6. I was revived in the ___________ Century Reformation by the H_______________, the A___________________ and some P_________________.

7. It rose again in the late ____________ Century first in E______________ before spreading to A______________________.

8. It then began to be called for a whiled D________________________.

9. It’s current form was popularized first by J_____________ N_______________ D______________ (died 1882).  It was he who first taught of a P__________ T_______________ R___________________.

10. P_________ T____________ are also known as C________________ P______________________ whose most famous is C. I. Scofield.  He taught:

          A. ______________________________________________________________

          B. ______________________________________________________________

          C. ______________________________________________________________

          D. ______________________________________________________________

          E. ______________________________________________________________

          F. ______________________________________________________________

11. The H_____________ P_______________________ teach nearly identical theology

With the exception being that the R______________ takes place after the T__________________ instead of before.

12. These teachings came about by a W__________________ literalism Imposed on Scriptures such as Ezekiel 40 – 48.  This method views all forms of G__________ as if they were all Prophetic N______________________. 

13. “IF” this were to be the case then:

          A. Physical Israel must be R_________________ to the physical L________

          B. Israel would have to be ruled by one literal King D____________ who would have to be re-encarnated.  (37.22 – 24)

          C. The Nation of Israel would dwell in the physical land for all E________________. (37.25)

          D. A new T_________________ would have to be built on the O_________ earth in which G_________ would have to dwell for E_______________ (37.26, 27; 43.7)

          E. The Levitical P___________________ would have to be restored forever.  (43.19; 44.15; Lev. 16.34 with Zadokites ONLY O____________ating.

          F. A________________ would have to be sacrificed for S__________ and to make A______________________ for sin for an eternity.  (43.19, 20, 21,22, 25, 26; 44.27, 29; 45.17)

          G. C______________ would be restored as essential to communion with God in worship (44.9)

REFERENCES:

http://www.theopedia.com/premillennialism

 McGuiggan, Jim, (THE BOOK OF EZEKIEL), (Montex Publishing Company, Lubbock, TX, 1979, 1984), pg. 332

Ezekiel

Lesson – 52 – Ezekiel 40 - 43 - Archdale church of Christ

 Russ McCullough – 8 November 2017 – “The New Temple” Part 3

“Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone, we are cut off.” – 37.10

1.   Read Ezekiel 40.1 – 4; 43.18 - 27

2.   Prayer

3.   Three kinds of eschatology or “end times.”

A._________________________________

          A: PRE-millennialism – Christ comes before a “7-year great tribulation” just prior to a 1,000 year earthly reign.

B._________________________________

          A: POST – Millennialism – Christ comes after a “7-year great tribulation” just after a 1,000 year earthly reign.

C._________________________________

          A: A – Millennialism – The biblical view, there is no earthly millennial reign.  Christ comes without warning.

4.   Millennial is a term for a ___________________________.

A: 1,000-year time frame

5.   Premillennialism was a popularly held in the Gnostic Apostasy from the ______ Century to the ___________.

A: 2^nd / 5^th

6.   I was revived in the ___________ Century Reformation by the H_______________, the A___________________ and some P_________________.

A: 16^th, Huguenots, Anabaptists, Puritans

7.   It rose again in the late ____________ Century first in E______________ before spreading to A______________________.

A: 19^th, England, America

8.   It then began to be called for a while D________________________.

A: Dispensationalism

9.   Its current form was popularized first by J_____________ D______________ (died 1882).  It was he who first taught of a P__________ T_______________ R___________________.

A: John Darby, Pre-Tribulation Rapture

10.                P_________ T____________ are also known as C________________ P______________________ whose most famous is C. I. Scofield.  He taught:

A: Pre-Tribulationists, Classic Premillennialists

A.   ______________________________________________________________

A: The 2^nd coming comes in 2 stages separated by a 7 year long “Great Tribulation”

B.   ______________________________________________________________

A: The 1^st coming will be an “air rescue of the church rapture”

C.   ______________________________________________________________

A: During the 7-year “great tribulation” the anti-Christ will conquer the world and kill anyone who will not worship him.

D.  ______________________________________________________________

A: At the far end of the 7 years, 144,000 “witnesses” will go out and convert all the Jews living in Israel so that “all Israel might be saved”

E.   ______________________________________________________________

A: At the end of the 7 years, Christ returns for the 2^nd time, destroys the anti-Christ and rescues Israel

11. The H_____________ P_______________________ teaches nearly identical theology with the exception being that the R______________ takes place after the T__________________ instead of before.

                             A: Historic Premillennialist, Rapture, Tribulation

12.These teachings came about by a W__________________ literalism Imposed on Scriptures such as Ezekiel 40 – 48.  This method views all forms of G__________ as if they were all Prophetic N______________________. 

A: Woodenized, genres, Narrative

13. “IF” this were to be the case then:

          A. Physical Israel must be R_________________ to the physical L________

A: Returned, Land (Egypt to the Euphrates, and down the West Bank, which would mean that Israel would absorb parts of Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan)

B. Israel would have to be ruled by one literal King D____________ who would have to be re-incarnated.  (37.22 – 24)

                   A: David

C. The Nation of Israel would dwell in the physical land for all E________________. (37.25)

                   A: Eternity

D. A new T_________________ would have to be built on the O_________ earth in which G_________ would have to dwell for E_______________ (37.26, 27; 43.7)

                   A: Temple, Old, God, Eternity

F.   The Levitical P___________________ would have to be restored forever.  (43.19; 44.15; Lev. 16.34 with Zadokites ONLY O____________ating.

A: Priesthood, Officiating

G.  A________________ would have to be sacrificed for S__________ and to make A______________________ for sin for an eternity.  (43.19, 20, 21,22, 25, 26; 44.27, 29; 45.17)

A: Animals, Sin, Atonement

H.  C______________ would be restored as essential to communion with God in worship (44.9)

A: Circumcision

REFERENCES:

http://www.theopedia.com/premillennialism

 McGuiggan, Jim, (THE BOOK OF EZEKIEL), (Montex Publishing Company, Lubbock, TX, 1979, 1984), pg. 332

  

A New Perspective on Old

We live in a society that rewards youth and disregards age.  It's been that way for some time.  When we were all growing up in the 50's, 60's, and 70's we all ignored this fact...we were young and in the spotlight.  Now the tables are turning.  WE are now the one's being "shuffled off to Buffalo."

There are, of course, many reasons for this shift in society.  Before WWII, old age was far more rare.  People died much earlier than people do today.  If you were, say, north of 70 during WWII, you were from very deep in the 19th century.  You would have been born 5 - 10 years after the Civil War ended.  You were sort of a "national treasure" to be honored and respected.

Somewhere in our lives collective journeys, something radically changed.  That something is called existentialism.  It is a a philosophy that is self absorbed and sees the present and the future as glorious and the home of all hope, prosperity, and improvement.  It also, at best, discredits everything and everyone from the past.  People from the past were ignorant, inferior, and immoral per the standards of today.  If you are old, you are part of the past and responsible for any and all extant societal problems.  It's time for the old to go.

BUT...what is God's perspective?  The Bible teaches us to "honor our fathers and mothers."  It tells us to respect the "gray head."  It promotes the accumulation of both knowledge and wisdom, the things that the elderly have more than anyone.  Perhaps, though, most importantly when God had a job to do He often would choose the elderly to "lead the charge," so to speak.

Moses was not called until he was 80.  Joshua became prime minister of Israel very late in life.  Abraham reached his heyday as a very old man.  David won a civil war in his old age.  Jacob didn't unite his family until his ancient years.  We could go on. But..just what is the point you might ask?

Archdale is a congregation made up of mainly, older people.  Many of us are retired.  Many of us are on Medicare and Social Security.  Many of us are moving slower these days than in the recent past.  HOWEVER,

...we are a congregation with more collective experience, more Bible knowledge, more wisdom and insight...than most congregations.  

Jesus is calling us to action!  He wants us to begin to use the talents He has been giving us over our lifetimes.  He is challenging us to "charge the hill," and not to "go to the rear."  We know more people - Jesus wants us to speak to more people.  We know more Bible - Jesus wants us to teach more Bible, and do it more often.  We have more time - Jesus wants us to use more time for Him.  We have homes - Jesus wants them to be opened up for fellowship.

We need to cease to think that "life has passed us by."  Zig Ziglar used to call this "stinkin' thinkin' " and said that "people need a check up from the neck up."  In a recent interview Justice Clarence Thomas observed that his late grandfather used to tell him; "Old man "Can't" is dead, I helped bury him."  We must change our perspective!  When companies falter, they turn to experience.  When crisis comes, it is the "old diplomat" that is called our of retirement.  When we are at the "end of our rope" we seek out the sage advise of the ancient one.

We must open our eyes to our blessings, our talents, our opportunities, our wisdom, our knowledge, our experiences, our influence, and our abundance as God has blessed us.

There was a song some time ago that expressed this sentiment: "Don't carry your blessings around as if they are burdens."  Senior citizenship is not a burden, it is a blessing and a vehicle for growth, personal growth and collective growth as well!

God wants Archdale to grow, and He's asking us to roll up our sleeves and get to work!

NOTE: Image courtesy of Bing Images.

Russ McCullough - 2 November 2017 - Mint Hill, NC - Share anywhere, anytime, and with anyone!

Understanding Ezekiel in It's Genre & Context - An Intro to Chapters 40 - 43

Ezekiel

Lesson – 51 – Ezekiel 40 - 43 - Archdale church of Christ

 Russ McCullough – 1 November 2017 – “The New Temple” Part 2 w/ Answers

“Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone, we are cut off.” – 37.10

1.   Read Ezekiel 40.1 – 4; 43.18 - 27

2.   Prayer

3.   The Bible asserts that Truth N________________ changes and the A____________ M______________ asserts that Truth is E___________ (Always) changing and actually is modeled along with what 19^th century theory? ____________________________

A: Never, Allegorical Method, Ever, Darwinian evolution (the simple evolves into the complex)

4.   One popular error today in (M____ Interpretation) that the entire Bible is one long N______________________ which “wood__________________” the entire text completely neglecting G___________.  This idea has led to many absurd doctrines, the most notable of which is P_________________.

A: Mis-, Narrative, Woodenizes, Genre (A type of writing style), Premillennialism

5.   Another popular error today asserts that the Bible, like the C_______________________ is a “L____________, B________________ Document.”  This subjects God’s Will to E_____________ & C_____________.  Here we see the proverbial “D_____________ tail wag the T________________ dog.”

A: Constitution, Living, Breathing, Evolve, Change, Darwinian, Theological

6.   This idea is also known as S___________ P______________ which means the “F_____________ S______________”.  This espouses the notion that as man’s K________________ increases so does his ability to see the H_______________ M________________ in Scripture that all previous generations could N_______ including the very A______________ of the Books of the Bible!

A: Sensus Plenior, Fuller Sense, Knowledge, Hidden Messages, Not, Authors

7.   The most infamous teacher espousing “Sensus Plenoir” is B___________ M________________ espoused in his best-selling book: A GENEROUS ORTHODOXY.

A: Brian McLaren

8.   In reality, the Bible should be read and U_________________ in the G______________ in which that portion written, just like any other book!  Proper understanding of the Bible P____________ written in various G____________ is called “S______________ L______________” which means the “L______________ S______________.”  Jesus uses this method in Luke 4 and Luke 24.

A: Understood, Genre, Plainly, Genres, Sensus Literalis, Letter Sense

9.   The Bible contains at least 12 genres: A:

A.   Legal Narrative (Story or account) – The Torah – the first 5 books of the Old Testament.

B.   Historical Narrative – Joshua thru II Chronicles + Acts in the NT

C.   Didactic (Doctrine) – Doctrinal teaching found throughout the Bible in various genres.

D.  Wisdom – Job thru Ecclesiastes

E.   Poetry – Psalms + random places in the NT

F.   Music – Psalms + various places in the NT such as Philippians 2

G.  General Epistles (Letter) – Written to numerous people such as the books to the Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, etc.

H.  Personal Epistles – Written to individuals such as Timothy and Titus

I.    Sermons – The Book of Hebrews is a sermon on the Old Testament

J.   Prophesy – Books foretelling the future such as Isaiah and Jeremiah

K.  Apocalyptic – Highly symbolic books written in times of national crisis such as Zechariah, Ezekiel and Revelation

L.   Metaphor – Various places such as the Gospels.  A metaphor is an illustration using one thing to describe another.

10.                Based upon all of this, this passage is most like which of these above?  A: Ezekiel is both Prophetic and Apocalyptic

Conclusion: We understand the Bible literally in its proper context as it is written in a specific genre.  We read and understand the Bible just like any other book.  That’s the way the Holy Spirit inspired the Bible and has preserved it for our time.  We don’t read poetry as if it is history.   We don’t read history and pretend it is allegory or fable.