Originally published in "The Lord's Coming Herald & Wesleyan Bible Prophecy Advocate," Fall Edition 1996
Adam Clarke On The Millennium
"It is truly an astonishing thing that
men will prefer hope to enjoyment; and rather content themselves with blessings
in prospect than in possession! . . . Thousands, in their affections,
conversation, and conduct, are wandering after an undefined and indefinable
period, commonly called a millennial glory, while expectation is paralyzed, and
prayer and faith restrained in reference to present salvation; and yet none of
these can tell what even a day may bring forth; for we now stand on the verge of
eternity, and because it is so, 'now is the accepted time, now is the day of
salvation'" (Clarke's Christian Theology, p. 420).
Did Christ actually conquer the Devil on Calvary two-thousand
years ago? And what degree of deliverance from the power and dominion of the
Evil One is available to believers in this present life through the power of the
Cross? Sadly, those who deny the fullness of redemption from sin that is
available through the true Christian gospel now are all too eager to read some
post-second coming "earthly millennial reign" into the Revelation 20 text.
Ironically, however, the Revelation chapter 20 text itself says nothing
about: (1) the reign of Christ on earth, (2) the reign of the saints on earth
after the second coming, or (3) the involvement of the Jews in any type of a
political kingdom. Consider the non-Wesleyan source of those ideas— and beware!
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