This week our sermon series finds us in Daniel 7, which is the first of several prophecies that close the book. Unfulfilled prophecies in the Bible are a source of much debate and discussion among Biblical scholars, Bible teachers and pastors. These debates have contributed to three main interpretive frameworks (some scholars suggest there are four) that folks use to interpret passages like Daniel 7.
The names of these frameworks are all based on verse in Revelation 20:
He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time. I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.
Revelation 20:3-6
A thousand years is a millennia…and the interpretive frameworks all refer to this 1000 year reign of Christ.
Some scholars use a premillennial framework. “Pre” as a prefix means “before.” This interpretive framework sees the prophecies as mainly literal, and that the current “church age” that we are living in will continue until, suddenly, unexpectedly, and secretly, Christ will return part way to earth (in the clouds) and then will call believers to himself.
Christ will then return to heaven with the believers who have been removed from the earth. When that happens, there will be a great tribulation on the earth for a period of seven years. During this seven-year period of tribulation, many of the signs that were predicted to precede Christ’s return will be fulfilled.
Christ will then come a second time and set up His 1000-year reign before the final days and final battle. If you read the “Left Behind” novel series, you are familiar with premillennialism.
Other scholars use a post-millennial framework. “Post” as a prefix means “after.” These scholars do not interpret almost any unfulfilled prophecy literally. In this framework the millennium is a season of history in which the church has gained overwhelming influence over society throughout the world. Is a time where the progress and growth of the gospel will increase tremendously.
As time progresses, more and more people will become Christians, and this will have a significant influence on society. After the church has established the kingdom, Christ will return only once, after the Church sets up the kingdom, to rule over it.
Still other scholars use what is called an amillennial framework. “A” as a prefix means “No,” so these people do not believe in a literal, physical season of time of prosperity for Christians. They believe all references to the millennium and judgements found in Revelation are spiritual in nature and that we are living in the “millennium” right now. In the future Christ will return once to judge all people.
That is a VERY simplified look at these frameworks, and some scholars even divide premillennialism into two separate frameworks. And I want to be clear that none of them are heresy and you can certainly be an authentic Christian and hold to any of them. They all have strengths and weaknesses and they all have verses that seem to support and speak against them.
The frameworks are man’s attempt to understand something that we will never understand completely, because we do not have the mind of God. So this is not a matter of right and wrong, but a matter of which framework a believer believes is best.
And to that end, I believe that premillennialism is the best framework to use to understand end times prophecy. That doesn’t mean I’m right, but it is what I think is best. So that is the framework that I’ll be teaching from as we look at the rest of the book of Daniel over the next few weeks.
If the end-times prophecies of the Bible interest you, I have good news. I will be talking about these frameworks and how they interpret some of the end-times prophecies in much greater detail in the adult class during VBS!
Here’s what’s happening:
1. Thank you to everyone who was able to participate in the baby bottle drive for Cornerstone Reproductive Health. Together we raised $1,265 dollars ($565 of that was in coins)! If anyone wasn’t able to turn in their baby bottle and would still like to do so, please see Toni Trout.
2. Men’s breakfast is this Saturday 2/22 at 8am at Kreider’s Market.
3. This Sunday there will be a brief (10-15 minutes) informational meeting after the worship service on a potential summer missions trip to North Carolina, being led by Thomas Derr. The meeting is for youth, parents, and anyone else that might be interested.
4. Solanco Meat Canning is right around the corner. ABCF’s slot is from 3 to 7:30 pm on March 11. Signup sheet is in the lobby. See Lloyd Kreider or Vernon Myers for more information.
5. Onesimus Ministries is holding a breakfast fundraiser on Saturday, March 1 at Waterway Church in Oxford. See Vernon Myers for details.
6. Youth Breakfast at the church – 3/1 at 8 am.
7. Marriage Retreat is set for 3/7 – 3/9 in Ocean City Maryland. Information is in the lobby.
8. Save the Dates – Lenten Prayer Services on 3/13, 3/27, & 4/10 from 6:30 -7:30 pm.
9. Save the Date – Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner on 4/6.
In chapter 7 Daniel is given a vision of the future of the world by God. The vision includes strange animals, a horrible beast, a talking horn and a fiery throne on wheel! What does it all mean and how does it apply to our lives today? Looking forward to a wild few weeks as we look at the prophecies of Daniel!
Scott