What’s Left?

A person who has read my book,¹

Inmillennialism: Redefining the Last Days, made the following request:

This may be a big ask, but I was hoping that you could give me a fairly comprehensive list of prophetic passages that deal with the end of the Messianic Age. I’m having trouble thinking through Inmillennialism because I can’t keep the Mosaic age and Messianic age prophecies straight. 

This request makes sense because inmillennialism says the events surrounding the temple’s destruction in AD 70 fulfilled many prophecies that most Christians think are in our future.² If so, “What’s left?” is a logical question.

The following is a “fairly comprehensive” list of remaining prophetic events, but it is not exhaustive.

Psalm 110:1 and its New Testament Quotations

The Bible often speaks about God establishing a kingdom and about that kingdom’s growth. These passages point forward to the end of the messianic age without always giving details about that end.

I will begin with the passage that Jesus and His apostles quoted more often than any other—Psalm 110. King David said, “The LORD said to my Lord, ‘Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool’” (Psa 110:1). This psalm describes the Messiah’s absolute triumph during His messianic-age reign. Ultimately, the nations lie at the Messiah’s feet in defeat (Psa 110:6–7). The New Testament shows that physical warfare in passages like this refers to spiritual conquests (e.g., 2 Cor 10:3–5). 

The writer of Hebrews gives us two lessons regarding Psalm 110:1. First, while showing the superiority of Jesus to the angels, he quotes Psalm 110:1 and Psalm 8:4–6 (Heb 1:13; 2:6–8). Then he says, 

In that He put all in subjection under him, He left nothing that is not put under him. But now we do not yet see all things put under him. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone. (Heb 2:8–9)

From these words, we learn that the promise of the Father to Jesus is not yet visible but will become so in our future.

Second, the writer of Hebrews teaches that Christ’s ultimate triumph will affect the physical creation. Just before quoting Psalm 110:1, he says,

You, LORD, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands. They will perish, but You remain; and they will all grow old like a garment; like a cloak You will fold them up, and they will be changed. But You are the same, and Your years will not fail. (Heb 1:10–12)

This “folding up” of the heavens and earth will occur at the end of the messianic age.³

The Apostle Paul also alludes to Psalm 110:1:

Now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming (Gk. parousia). Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. (1 Cor 15:20–26)

Here, “the end” refers to the end of the messianic age, not the end of the Mosaic age as it does in the Olivet Discourse (e.g., Matt 24:3, 6, 13, etc.). It means the final subjugation of all Christ’s enemies, including death, which Christ will conquer in the resurrection of our mortal bodies (cp. Rom 8:11).⁴

So, the resurrection will occur in Christ’s parousia, at the end of the messianic age.

Psalm 110:1 and at least two New Testament quotations of it, Hebrews 1:10–12 and 1 Corinthians 15:20–26, refer to the end of the messianic age.

Daniel

Daniel also speaks of kingdom expansion, culminating in complete (spiritual) conquest and the (bodily) resurrection. He said God would establish a kingdom during the days of the Roman kings, and it would “break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms” (Dan 2:44). Later, Daniel sees the enthronement of the Son of Man (i.e., Jesus). The Ancient of Days gives to Him “dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples nations, and languages should serve Him” (Dan 7:13–14). In his final chapter, Daniel reveals the ultimate end of the messianic-age kingdom: “Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt” (Dan 12:2). 

Daniel 12:2 agrees with what we saw above—the resurrection occurs at the end of the messianic age.

Matthew 25:31–46

Jesus also refers to the end of the messianic age in Matthew 25:31–46 by using prophetic foreshortening. He places the temple’s destruction side-by-side with the final judgment. The disciples had shown the fine buildings of the temple to Jesus (Matt 24:1). The Lord foretold their destruction (Matt 24:2). This prophecy caused the disciples to ask two questions (Matt 24:3). After answering them (Matt 24:4–35), Jesus gave a series of parables to reinforce His teaching (Matt 24:36–25:30).

Jesus then says He will come to “sit on the throne of His glory” (Matt 25:31) during the messianic age. He then jumps to the outcome of His reign—the final judgment (Matt 25:32–46).

Elsewhere I show how Jesus’ purpose here differs from that in Matthew 16:27–28, where He spoke of coming to judge Israel, saying, “There are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom” (Matt 16:28).⁵

In Matthew 25:31–46, Jesus refers to the end of the messianic age.

Revelation 20:7–15

I wrote a series of posts (beginning here) regarding inmillennialism’s view of Revelation. Most of John’s visions pertain to the “great tribulation” surrounding the temple’s destruction (Rev 7:14; cp. Matt 24:21). These events were to take place in John’s near future (Rev 1:1, 3–4; 22:6–7, 10, 12, 20).

However, John’s last vision extends to the end of the messianic age, here shown as Christ reigning for “a thousand years” (Rev 20:4). This extension completes the explanation of the outcome of the seven mystic figures in the fourth vision.⁶ 

John learns Satan will attempt one last rebellion, but God will cast him “into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are” (Rev 20:10). 

The resurrection and final judgment (Rev 20:11–15; cp. Matt 25:31–46) will happen at the end of the messianic age. 

John 5:24–30

Jesus speaks from this perspective in John’s gospel. He says that during the messianic age, “the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live” (John 5:25). Yet, He also speaks of a distant day when “all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation” (John 5:28–29). 

This resurrection/judgment will occur at the end of the messianic age.

1 Thessalonians 4:13–5:11

I have written a series of posts on this passage, beginning here and ending here. I maintain that Paul’s primary purpose is not to describe the end of the messianic age. He wants the believers in Thessalonica to know that those who live to see the temple fall in Christ’s parousia “will certainly have no advantage over those who have fallen asleep” (1 Thess 4:15 HCSB). He knew that all saints, whether living or dead, would partake of the glories of the messianic age.

However, as we saw above, Paul taught that the parousia of Christ would culminate in the bodily resurrection (cp. 1 Cor 15:23–26). So, Paul’s comforting words to the Thessalonians indirectly refer to the end of the messianic age.

The Bodily Coming of Christ

Inmillennialism says that references to the “coming” of Christ usually speak of the destruction of the temple in AD 70. Yet, this does not eliminate a future bodily “coming” of Christ. 

Paul says, “While we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord” (2 Cor 5:6). Our deaths change this situation, for “to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord” (2 Cor 5:8). But, this is not a physical presence, for God will not raise our physical bodies until the end of the messianic age. The resurrection will bring the last change—the Lord will “come” in his glorified body, and we will “go” to Him in ours. This going/coming is the inevitable result of Christ’s reign in the messianic age.

Job had this hope of a physical presence with God. He said, “After my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God, Whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!” (Job 19:26–27).

The New Testament preserves this hope. John says, “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that [if⁷] He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2).

The final gathering of the elect to be in the bodily presence of Christ is part of the inmillennial framework.

Conclusion

Jesus said, “Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place” (Matt 24:34). His words, “all these things,” include His coming (Gk. parousia) and the end of the age (Matt 24:3), the worldwide preaching of the gospel (Matt 24:14), the abomination of desolation (Matt 24:15), the “great tribulation” (Matt 24:21), the rise of false Christs (Matt 24:24; cp. 1 John 2:18), the collapse of the cosmos (Matt 24:29), the sign of the Son of Man in heaven (Matt 24:30), and the start of the gathering of the elect (Matt 24:31). 

God intends to fulfill important prophecies in our future: the conversion of the nations (Psa 2:8; 65:2; 72:17–19; 110:1; Dan 2:244; cp. Matt 28:18–19), the resurrection of the dead (1 Cor 15:20–26; John 5:24–30; Rev 20:7–15), the final satanic revolt (Reve 20:7–15), the folding up of the physical creation (Heb 1:10–12), and the final judgment (Matt 25:31–46; John 5:24–30; Rev 20:7–15). Several other passages also refer to these events.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. Michael A. Rogers, Inmillennialism: Redefining the Last Days (Tullahoma, TN: McGahan Publishing House, 2020).
2. See A Summary of Inmillennialism.
3. This future event served as a powerful metaphor for the prophets, Jesus, and the Apostles to describe the judgment and destruction of cities and nations—Babylon (Isa 13:10), Idumea (Isa 34: 4), Jerusalem (Matt 24:29), and others.
4. For a discussion of how the temple’s fall in AD 70 and the resurrection can both occur in the parousia see Rogers, Inmillennialism, 73–86.
5. Rogers, Inmillennialism, 216–32.
6. The seven mystic figures are 1) the sun-clad woman, 2) the great red dragon, 3) the man-child, 4) the beast from the sea—whose number is 666, 5) the beast from the land, 6) the Lamb on mount Sion, and 7) the Son of Man upon a cloud.
7. For a defense of this translation see my post How Does 1 John 3:2 Fit in Inmillennialism?