Moffatt (connecting it mistakenly, as it seems to us, with Domitians emphasis on the imperial cult, but giving also other reasons) goes so far as to say that "any earlier date for the book is hardly possible" (Expository Greek Testament, V, 317). Also, after this literal return is stressed a As Clark goes on to explain, The Reformed Baptist project entails significant revisions of Reformed theology which change our reading of redemptive history, the way we read the Bible, and our view of the church and sacraments, and our eschatology. Most significant, however, is the Baptist adulteration of the Reformeds one covenant of grace and of the corresponding homogeneity of their singular covenant community. conceived by the Jew than by any other man on earth except the Christian. Denomination: Baptist Indexed: Mon Apr 24 2:20:19 2000. dealing with both positions and pull out of them ideas that are "compatible" cit. indefinite period of time following the coming of Christ during which there will be Therefore, each and every Sunday our children worship the Lord alongside their parents and other members of Gods family. We feel safe in concluding, then, that of WebDean of Students, Director of Administration. (6) Philadelphia (Revelation 3:7-13) All these promises certainly imply that the people of Israel are to be Obviously their consideration is not of reformed theology in all its tenets, but reformed from their perspective of enlightenment from scripture regarding soteriology. The writer knows . that Rome will in three years and a half perish finally, never to rise again." 109-120, Lesson 16 Is the Momentous Event Near? (2) The futurist view connects the whole with the times of the second advent and the millennium. The final end of the sinner A divine interposition seems to me the hope set before us WebEschatology. There is the widest disagreement in theories of "composite" origin (from Jewish apocalypse). The term isnt chosen to set people in line with the past. paradise, until once again a new Eden shall bless the eyes of God's creatures. 123, Lesson 13 Structure of the Book of Revelation, Recommended Reading: The Triumph of the Lamb: Chapter 2, Pg. WebRecords of the Reformed Dutch Churches of Hackensack and Schraalenburgh, New Jersey Consistory Records Hackensack 1701 - 1780 Baptisms Old Dutch Church, Totowa, NJ: This rejects the plain intimations of the book thatthe events predicted lay, in their beginnings at least, immediately in the future of the writer. She is to have, however, instead of Some think that this descent of the Lord will be post-millennial It is not the case We very much appreciate the work done by the early reformers and even the biblical positions of the P&R churches of today. The third, and last, major view is that (5) Souls under the Altar (Revelation 6:9-11) mark you, this is not the first and proper interpretation of the text; it is indeed In full accordance with it is the claim of the book itself. (4) Third Angel Doom of Worshippers of the Beast (Revelation 14:9-12) Within the premillennialist camp, there Up to the Westminster Assembly (A.D. 1647) In the Reformed tradition before Westminster, Calvin believed that Christ's Kingdom, already established, would have greater triumph in human history before the actual Consummation. We have searched in vain on the internet for the source of this to obtain a better quality copy. The prefix is telling us at what point in relationship to the political restoration of the Jews to their own land and to their own nationality; and But whether or no, this much is the fact, that Christ will suddenly [from Things to Come MTP I certainly dont see Particular Baptist coming back into widespread usage (said the Regular Baptist )too many mental images of finicky people (like RBs have with fiber in your diet images and comments). spiritualise it. 79-86, Recommended Reading: The Momentous Event: Chapter 12, Pg. Being Reformed is certainly more than being Calvinistic. for our joy and our comfort, that this thing shall be, and that both in the spiritual and Here is a dispassionate and sympathetic description of the Reformed Baptist identity: https://founders.org/2017/03/30/what-is-a-reformed-baptist/, Spurgeon and I disagree with Clarks definition just sayin. They are the ones who fully reformed church government (independency & interdependency). Now, the ); or, third, with most moderns, to deny the Johannine authorship of both Gospel and Apocalypse, with a leaning to the "presbyter" as the author of the latter (Harnack, Bousset, Moffatt, etc.). However, the Reformed Ecumenical Synod (RES) did have a study committee on eschatology that reported in 1972. Synod 1974 recommended the study committee's report to the CRC churches for study. Synod 1975 found the RES study insufficient but decided not to ask the RES for a more detailed study. Beets, Henry. Yet the Christian-church, though the failure of every one of these predictions had been decisively demonstrated, received the book as of divine inspiration, apparently without the least idea that such things had been intended (see the form of theory in Renan, with a keen criticism in Salmons Introduction to the New Testament, lecture xiv). These other works are pseudonymous fictitious; on the face of them products of imagination; betraying that this is their origin in their crude, confused, unedifying character. This is a faulty way of proving a point, however This, likewise, seems to yield the better explanation. I dont really have a dog in the fight since I dont consider myself a Reformed Baptist. joy of that age, that he is among his saints, and dwelleth in them, with them, and talketh Other relevant material can be found under the doctrine of the Kingdom of God in BT 94. archangel and the voice of God. STANDARD BIBLE foolish ideas of certain of the early heretics, that Christ's appearance upon earth was Grier. At length, surely, in Revelation 19, with the appearance of the white horseman "The Word of God" (19:13) and the decisive overthrow of all his adversaries (19:18-21), the climax is touched; but just then, to our surprise, intervenes the announcement of the binding of Satan for 1,000 years, and the reign of Jesus and His saints upon the earth (the interpretation is not here discussed), followed by a fresh apostasy, and the general resurrection and judgment (Revelation 20). andthe "historic" position. (5) Sardis (Revelation 3:1-6) The way in which Israel shall be in Scripture, and, indeed, to be the only hope adequate to the occasion. "They shall be my (3) The historical view connects the various symbols with definite occurrences as the invasions which overthrew the Roman Empire (the first 4 trumpets), the Saracens (first woe-trumpet), the Turks (second woe-trumpet), the papacy (the beast, Revelation 13; the scarlet woman, Revelation 17), etc. children unto the Lord their God, and they shall be the people of God, world without end. (3) Pergamos (Revelation 2:12-17) may be even in that period certain solemn assemblies and Sabbath-days, but is faced after the righteous have enjoyed athousand years with Christ. INTRODUCTION: Eschatology is the study of last things. its four branches, nor that it came from the land of Havilah which hath dust of gold After an introduction, and letters to the seven churches (Revelation 1 through 3), the properly prophetic part of the book commences with a vision of heaven (Revelation 4; 5), following upon which are two series of visions of the future, parallel, it would appear, to each other the first, the 7 seals, and under the 7th seal, the 7 trumpets (Revelation 6 through 11, with interludes in Revelation 7 and again in 10; 11:1-12); the second, the woman and her child (Revelation 12), the 2 beasts (Revelation 13), and, after new interludes (Revelation 14), the bowls and 7 last plagues (Revelation 15; 16). But alas, formal or ecclesiastical communion will likely remain elusive until our Lord Christ returns to settle the salient questions. On the modern Nerotheory, to which most recent expositors give adherence, it is a farrago of baseless fantasies, no one of which came true. Tacitus attests that there were vague rumors that Nero had not really died (Hist. regarding the doctrine of the Millennium. so as to be delivered from all the frailties and imperfections of their mortal bodies: The These older schemes are largely put out of date by the newer theories, already alluded to, in which the Apocalypse is explained out of contemporary conditions, the legend of the returning Nero, Jewish apocalypse, and Babylonian mythology. This testimony is confirmed by Clement of Alexandria (who speaks of "the tyrant"), Origen, and later writers. General Resurrection and Last Judgment (Revelation 20:11-15), (1) The New Jerusalem from Heaven (Revelation 21:1-9) is honest to admit that there is much room for difference of opinion here, the day will It is not, however, Eusebius states that opinion in his day was divided on the book, and he himself wavers between placing it among the disputed books or ranking it with the acknowledged (homologoumena). ISBN: those who deny the conclusion that we feel is obvious, none that I have found bases itself future with rose-colour: he is no smooth-tongued prophet of a 2:2 ). On the other hand, the book is acknowledged by Methodius, Pamphilus, Athanasius, Gregory of Nyssa, Cyril Alex., Epiphanius, etc. spirit, soul, and body without spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; nothing more than a very striking parallel case to the one before us. There is moreover to be a reign of Christ. The oldest form of the title would seem to be simply, "Apocalypse of John," the appended words "the divine" [, theologos], i.e. We confess Jesus as the Lord and Savior. Tradition can be the bane or blessing of the church. Indeed. Andreas of Cappadocia (5th century) in a Commentary on the Apocalypse states that Papias (circa 130 AD) bore witness to its credibility, and cites a comment by him on Revelation 12:7-9. The coming of Christ is ever near ever approaching yet it is not to be tied down to "times and seasons"; it is more of the nature of a process and has anticipatory exemplifications in many crises and providential events forecasting the end (see above). For those of us who accept the doctrine of the covenants which gave rise to the First and Second London Baptist Confessions, would you prefer that we call ourselves Particular Baptists? 61-66, Lesson 8 The Second Coming in Early Apostolic Preaching, Recommended Reading: The Momentous Event: Chapter 9, Pg. It is by no means to be assumed, however, that the Apocalypse is the earlier production. JavaScript is disabled. 351-363, The Triumph of the Lamb: Chapter 1, Pg. 28:58-68), Mission Accomplished (Num. This is somewhat misleading, however. We will consider various views held by Christians on the end times, after which a This view is the the product of a Vision of Jesus and Message to the Seven Churches of the Province of Asia (Revelation 1:9-20), 3. WebEschatology- (a discussion of the last things, e]scata), a branch of theology which treats of the doctrines concerning death, the condition of man after death, the end of this world On its own claim it is a product of true prophecy (Revelation 1:3; 22:18 f), and has or will have sure fulfillment. that is, after the thousand years of his reign. Copyright 2020 - All Right Reserved - Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary | FCC compliance statement: As an Amazon Associate DBTS earns from qualifying purchases. Moses Stuart, Commentary on Apocalypse; Alford, Greek Testament, IV, "The Revelation"; S. Davidson, Introduction to the New Testament (3rd edition), 176 ff; G. Salmon, Introduction to the New Testament (2nd edition), lects xiii, xiv; Elliott, Horae Apocalypticae, with literature there mentioned; Farrar, Early Days of Christianity, chapter xxviii; Milligan, Discussions on the Apocalypse; H. Gunkel, Schopfung und Chaos; W. Bousset, Die Offenbarung Johannis, and article "Apocalypse" in EB, I; C. Anderson Scott, "Revelation" in Century Bible; J. Moffatt, Introduction to Literature of the New Testament (with notices of literature); also "Revelation" in Expositors Bible; Trench, Epistles to the Seven Churches; W. M. Rarnsay, Letters to the Seven Churches; H. B. Swete, The Apocalypse of John. This enlarges, but does not necessarily contradict, the earlier stage of thought. Many Reformed Baptists today are a-mil. Many times companionship with the Most High. In the Emmaus Chapel at Cornerstone Recommended Reading: The Momentous Event: Chapter 1, Pg. It is not found in the Peshitta, and a citation from it in Ephraim the Syrian (circa 373) seems not to be genuine. It proclaims itself to be the work of John (Revelation 1:1,4,9; 22:8), who does not, indeed, name himself an apostle,yet, in his inspired character, position of authority in the Asian churches, and selection as the medium of these revelations, can hardly be thought of as other than the well-known John of the Gospels and of consentient church tradition. (2) Measuring of Temple and Altar the Two Witnesses (Revelation 11:1-13), 6. or sometimes called "realized eschatology". (7) In the Air Victory and Fall of Babylon (Revelation 16:17-21), 1. Be sure to check it often and don't hesitate to contact us if you have any questions. Then we shall be presented As Clark goes on to explain, The Reformed Baptist project entails significant revisions of Reformed theology which change our reading of redemptive But is there one that you could point to and say, "That's the Reformed view of eschatology? themselves any more with their idols." Westcott, Salmon). chalcedony and amethyst, however splendid the gates which are of one pearl, whatever may identifies the Postmillennial view and denies his adherence to it. temples should be justify, because the whole world should be a temple for God. mail to others. promises of the Old Testament for the Jewish nation. We are a community of Christ followers who love God, love one another, and serve the church, community, and nations, for the glory of God and for our joy. Cyril of Jerusalem (circa 386 AD) omits it from his list, and it is unmentioned by the Antiochian writers (Chrysostom, Theodore of Mopsuestia, Theodoret). He simply detests a Baptist theology of the covenants. The point in which its eschatology differs from that of the rest of the New Testament is in its introduction of the millennium before the final resurrection and judgment. This, accordingly, may be regarded as the traditional date of composition of the Apocalypse, though good writers, influenced partly by the desire to give time for the later composition of the Gospel, have signified a preference for an earlier date (e.g. (See also remainder of sermons in Daniel chapter 9. every day will be a Sabbath, the avocations of men will all be priestly, they shall be a They are indeed the truly reformed. hearts of believers. Those who hold this view do not speak on " Here was Adam's highest privilege, that he had The Canon attributed to the Council of Laodicea (circa 360 AD) does not name it, but it is doubtful whether this document is not of later date (compare Westcott; also Bousset, Die Offenb. supplied quotations"say" so, or, he deliberately does not I know a few of the English Puritans were historic pre-mil. The meaning therefore is thought to be clear. LORD'S DAY WORSHIP WebThe Reformational confessions have adopted the Historicist interpretation, including the Irish Articles (1615), the original Westminster Confession of Faith (1646), the Savoy Declaration (1658), and the London Baptist Confession (1688). The Reformers were those who There have been, of course, a great many attempts by Reformed Baptists to close the gap with various forms of hermeneutical intrigue, starting in the 1680s and persisting today in 1689 Federalism, New Covenant Theology, and Progressive Covenantalism. return of Jesus Christ before a literal millennium on the earth. be the magnificence set forth by the "streets of gold," this we know, that the it is not quite so clear to some persons that he is to come really, personally, and An audio teaching series through the Baptist Catechism aimed to instruct in foundational Christian doctrine and to encourage obedience within Gods people. see more below). saved is the same by which any one individual sinner shall be saved. Writing under the emperor Galba, the 6th emperor (reckoning from Augustus), the author anticipates, after a short reign of a 7th emperor (Revelation 17:10), the return of the Antichrist Nero an 8th, but of the 7, with whom is to come the end. To anyone that says we are not Reformed (normally, Presbyterians, and afew Baptists), I usually answer, I dont care about your opinion. The Apocalypse is steeped in the thoughts, the images, even the language of the Old Testament (compare the illustrations in Lightfoot, Galatians, 361, where it is remarked: "The whole book is saturated with illustrations from the Old Testament. Those who place it under Vespasian (omitting three short reigns) sacrifice the advantage of dating the book before the destruction of Jerusalem, and have to fall back on a supposititious Jewish fragment in Revelation 11, which those who incorporated it must have known had never been fulfilled. Epilogue and Appendix: The 70 Weeks of Daniel, Recommended Reading: The Momentous Event: Chapter 16, Epilogue, and Appendix Pg. It may be added that neither Irenaeus, nor any early interpreter, seems to have heard of the connection of 666 with "Nero." The wordsReformedandBaptistmean something and they are and always have been mutually exclusive. Oh! Events and tendencies may be grouped, or under different forms may relate to the same subject (e.g. Hmmm Id say something is kind of wrong with their definition if the Reformers werent Reformed. The unseen but omnipotent Jehovah is to be 249, Romans 8:30 (age 31)], Spurgeon here specifically Come then, Christian, contemplate for a moment thy beloved Lord. You don't even need a chart to understand it. Spurgeon (age 50) Sometimes its hard to keep my mouth shut. Please, Copy this article, pass it on, and the one case which the prophet is aiming at; he is looking at the vast mass of cases, the The rest of the dead live not till We look to the he will come first; and then will come the millennium as the result of his personal nation of priests distinctly so, and they shall day without night serve God the Personal PRE-MILLENNIALReturn of the Lord More than this need not be said here. the 144,000 sealed on earth a spiritual Israel in Revelation 7:1-8, and the triumphant multitude inheaven, 7:9-17); successions of events may be foreshortened; different pictures may overlap; but, shining through the symbols, great truths and facts which have historical realization appear. itself; it is only a similar one, for the way in which God restores a nation is, "There is no other apostolical writing the chronology of which can be more exactly fixed." WebThere has been some considerable difference of opinion regarding the position that C. H. Spurgeon, the great Baptist preacher from the 19th century, held in the area of A new series of visions begins, opening into large perspectives, till, after fresh interludes, and the pouring out of 6 of the bowls of judgment, Har-Magedon itself is reached; but though, at the outpouring of the 7th bowl, it is proclaimed, "It is done" (Revelation 16:17), the end is again held over till these final judgments are shown in detail. No one should campaign that they cease and desist from using the moniker Reformed just because of their ongoing error. Restoration & Conversion of the Jews MTP Vol 10, Year 1864, pgs. so. So for many, i believe, the label reformed never means more than an acceptance of the predetermined will of God for their salvation. Rexford Semrad has served as an administrator at Covenant Baptist Theological Seminary since 2015. Whatever faults the Jew may have besides, he Such an assignment would take a very large volume (many are is that of PREMILLENNIALISM. He granted, however, that it was the work of a holy and inspired man another John. [from Justification 43-51, Lesson 6 Some General Considerations from the New Testament, Recommended Reading: The Momentous Event: Chapter 7, Pg. Rider on White Horse ("The Word of God") and His Armies Last Battle and Doom of Beast, False Prophet, and Their Followers (Revelation 19:11-21), 1. Basic Training for Understanding Bible Prophecy Vol. Jesus Christ in glory." (5) The Fallen Star-Locusts (Revelation 9:1-11) be restored first, and converted afterwards, or converted first, and then restored. A DVD presentation as well as a book by Dr. Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr. The Case of the Daring Dispensationalist. In his case there can be no doubt that the apostle John is meant. For further information defending each of earth; that seems to us to be very plain, and to be put so literally that we dare not (3) Second Angel (Anticipatory) Proclamation of Fall of Babylon (Revelation 14:8) WebSECTION II - ESCHATOLOGY IN THE REFORMED TRADITION A. A day-year principle is applied to the periods (1,260 days 1,260 years). Because until Baptists relinquish their identity by dropping several of their distinctives (most especially credobaptism and a regenerate church membership), there can be no commonality of biblical (much less systematic) theology between Reformed and Baptist. There is no need for supposing that, in a drama of this range, the "heads" of the beast of Revelation 13 and 17 (behind whom is the Dragon-enemy, Satan, of Revelation 12) stand, in contrariety to the analogy of Daniel, for seven individual emperors, and that "the image of the beast," which has life given to it and "speaks" (Revelation 13:14,15), is the statue of the emperor; or that such tremendous events as the fall of the Roman Empire, or the rise of the papacy with which, however, must be combined all ecclesiastical anti-Christianism or the false prophecy of later intellectual anti-Christianism have no place in the symbolism of the book. Rather he is asserting that the mere adoption of these doctrines cannot of itself render a BaptistReformed. The result was that, while "in the Western church," as Bousset grants, "the Apocalypse was accepted unanimously from the first" (EB, I, 193), a certain doubt attached to it for a time in sections of the Greek and Syrian churches.