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The Lord’s Prayer & Amillennialism
The Lord’s prayer actually teaches us to pray from a viewpoint of what today is known as Amillennialism:
Here is Matthew 6:9-13 (NASB):
“Pray, then, in this way:
‘Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.
10 ‘ Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.
11 ‘ Give us this day our daily bread.
12 ‘And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 ‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
Until Christ comes again at the Second Advent, we must pray this prayer for the simple reason that there are yet the elect of God whose hearts are still darkened. Scripture makes clear that the kingdom itself has already been established (Luke 17:21) and yet, in the hearts of those who will be saved, Christ is (not yet) reigning in their hearts individually, though Scripture makes abundantly clear that He is indeed, right now, King of His kingdom, and reigning over all the universe (Acts 4:24; I Timothy 6:15), and sitting on David’s throne according to Scripture.
In I Corinthians 5:25, we see that God the Father has decreed that His Son must reign until the divine plan of redemption – and that to the last individual elected unto salvation – is completed. After this, the Son hands over the kingdom to our Father (I Corinthians 15:24).
The reign of Christ as King of kings and Lord of lords began at His triumphant resurrection from the grave and since then, all powers and authorities have been placed under Him, in submission (I Peter 3:22), while still operating within the world.
There is no biblical support for the view of ‘praying the kingdom into the world’ as our postmillennial brethren would have us believe.
The kingdom is here – and we have a King, and His name is Jesus.
5 Pt. Salt 
I think you nailed down a most important point very well! Good distinction between those who are elect but not yet saved and between the nature of the kingdom now and that which is yet to come; irreconcilable with the post-mil view.
And to all the above i say amen.
It was only a few months ago that I began reincorporating the “Lord’s Prayer” back into my daily prayer life, and it has taken on new meaning since my conversion to Covenant Theology, seeing alot of what you speak of here. Very nice. Glad I subscribed:)
And the postmiller can pray that prayer, expecting God’s kingdom to come in such a fullness that His will will be done on earth even as it is done in heaven. The Amiller prays the prayer without any such expectation.
“and sitting on David’s throne according to Scripture.”…and He will be on that throne, at the right hand of the Father until His enemies are made His footstool (Ps 110:1; Lk 20:43; Acts 2:35; Heb 1:13; Heb 10:13)
For the Amiller to think that Jesus is on His throne but will not conquer His enemies until He returns is just silly
Quote Larry
And the postmiller can pray that prayer, expecting God’s kingdom to come in such a fullness that His will will be done on earth even as it is done in heaven
end quote
Larry
The postmiller might well pray that prayer with all expectancy, but what the postmiller needs to understand is that the kingdom of heaven has already come , and it has come by way of the Holy Spirit, and it is here lacking nothing. Read Matthew 12:28
But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God , then the kingdom of God
is come to you.
The kingdom of heaven on earth is not a progressive event, it came at Pentecost with all the power and authority required to build the church, again from Matthew 28;18
All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
Notice that the power and authority that is vested is for the building of the church , and not the postmill fantasy of dominion over the earth.
Ray,
You said: what the postmiller needs to understand is that the kingdom of heaven has already come
My reply: This shows a misunderstanding of postmillennialism as we DO believe the kingdom of heaven has already come…we just understand that it is still growing victoriously. This is why, when Jesus speaks of the kingdom of heaven, He says…
…”The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.” (Mat 13:31-32)
You said: The kingdom of heaven on earth is not a progressive event, it came at Pentecost with all the power and authority required to build the church
My reply: So much of Scripture counters your claim of not being progressive…just as the parable of the mustard seed, so too the parable of the leaven.
You yourself counter the claim by denying progressiveness and in the same breath talking about “building” the church. How can we progress in building the church without progressing?
You say: fantasy of dominion over the earth
My reply: Isa 65:17-25 is no fantasy.
Quote
My reply: So much of Scripture counters your claim of not being progressive…just as the parable of the mustard seed, so too the parable of the leaven.
end quote
Larry
The parable of the leaven is an illustration of the growth of the kingdom !!!!. I don’t think so , leaven is consistently symbolised as that which is undesirable , such as false teaching and legalism , you really need to understand the context and nature of the two parables that you’ve mentioned to gain an insight into the kingdom on earth.
Why would a woman [ the congregation] hide leaven [ false teaching] into a loaf [the word] so that the whole loaf becomes corrupt.? . Is this your idea of the kingdom growing in fulness.
Ray said: The parable of the leaven is an illustration of the growth of the kingdom !!!!. I don’t think so , leaven is consistently symbolised as that which is undesirable , such as false teaching and legalism , you really need to understand the context and nature of the two parables that you’ve mentioned to gain an insight into the kingdom on earth.
My reply:
Scripture clearly disagrees with you as we are told that “kingdom of heaven” is “like leaven”
…”The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened.” (Mat 13:33)
This taken together with the parable of the mustard seed show the progression of the kingdom. Anyone without a theological axe to grind can see the plain meaning of this Scripture.
Larry says
My reply: This shows a misunderstanding of postmillennialism as we DO believe the kingdom of heaven has already come…we just understand that it is still growing victoriously.
Larry , how do reconcile the kingdom growing victoriously with passages such as 2 Thess 2:3
Let no man deceive you by any means; for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition.
vs 4
Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God showing himself that he is God.
Amills believe that through Christs victory , the elect are victorious and reign with Christ, however , there will come a time when Satan is loosed and he will wage war against the church which will result in the decimation of the church, but the elect will endure. How does this fit into the grand Postmill scheme of christian domination.?
Ray said: Larry , how do reconcile the kingdom growing victoriously with passages such as 2 Thess 2:3
My reply: This is a passage that speaks of a falling away before the Lord’s return. There’s no issue with this fitting into my postmill eschatology.
1 – The Church is victorious through the Gospel
2 – This victory leads to a broadly Christianized world
3 – Prior to the Lord’s coming there will be a falling away
4 – The Lord returns
Now please answer my question…How does Isa 65:17-25 fit into your amill eschatology?
Larry says
Now please answer my question…How does Isa 65:17-25 fit into your amill eschatology?
I’d be delighted to answer that Larry, but really , its not my amill eschatology, but Gods plan for the elect.
Isaiah 65 :17
For , behold , I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former
shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.
Larry , the subject here is the new heavens and earth , a topic that is addressed elsewhere in the bible , such as in Rev 21:1
And I saw a new heaven and a new earth : for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away : and there was no more sea.
And again in 2 Peter 3:10
But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night ; in which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise , and the elements shall melt with fervent heat , the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
Larry , as far as ” my” amill doctrine is concerned, this is the hope that I have, that Christ will return one day for His elect and judge those that have refused his counsel. I believe that Christ will come at the appointed time, and not a time that is dependent on the relative christianisation of the world.
If you are asking whether Christ returns to reign on this earth , then the answer is no, Jesus returns to gather the remnant and so shall we forever be with Him.
Ray,
Indeed, the Isa 65 passage is about the new heavens and earth…and yet there are sinners there. Therefore it can’t be our eternal state of Heaven where no sin will be found.
And yes, Christ will return at His appointed time…both post and amil positions agree on that…so the fact that you bring it up shows another misunderstanding of the postmil position. But we are also told in Scripture that Christ will be at the right hand of the Father “until all His enemies are made His footstool” (Heb 10:12-13). Most in the amill camp don’t believe that His enemies will be defeated before His return.
Larry says
Indeed, the Isa 65 passage is about the new heavens and earth…and yet there are sinners there. Therefore it can’t be our eternal state of Heaven where no sin will be found.
Larry , I’m the first to admit that I cannot conclude the reference to sinners in that passage from Isaiah, however , reconciling other scriptures that reference the new heavens and earth , it becomes clear beyond all doubt , that there is no sin or sinners found in Gods presence beyond the second coming.Here’s a couple of verses;
2 Thess 1:7
And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Peter 3:13
Nevertheless we, according to his promise look for new heavens and a new earth , wherein dwelleth righteousness.
Revelation 21:27
And there shall be in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth , neither whatsoever worketh abomintion, or maketh a lie ; but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
Quote
Most in the amill camp don’t believe that His enemies will be defeated before His return.
end quote
Larry , the bible says that the last enemy to be defeated will be death , and according to Paul in 1 Cor 15 :51-58 , that last enemy will indeed be destroyed at the last trump when Christ returns and we mortals will have been made immortal and death has been swallowed up in victory.
Ray,
You said: I’m the first to admit that I cannot conclude the reference to sinners in that passage from Isaiah
My reply: Very refreshing to see such humility.
You said: reconciling other scriptures that reference the new heavens and earth , it becomes clear beyond all doubt , that there is no sin or sinners found in Gods presence beyond the second coming
My reply: It looks like you’re working from the presumption that the new heavens and earth can only refer to one unmoveable state. Perhaps there is a sense in which the earth is made new because of Christ’s influence on it through His Church.
Nothing in Scripture directly contradicts my postmill view on eschatology….we have seen that Isa 65 does contradict your view. I would encourage you to lay your presumptions aside and see how all the passages can show about the end-times without contradiction.
You said: the bible says that the last enemy to be defeated will be death , and according to Paul in 1 Cor 15 :51-58 , that last enemy will indeed be destroyed at the last trump when Christ returns and we mortals will have been made immortal and death has been swallowed up in victory.
My repy: Indeed! And it is no mistake that death is singled out as the last enemy to be defeated…the one to be defeated at the return of Christ. This fits so perfectly into the passage of Isa 65 because the state described there still has death.
All of Christ’s enemies, except death, are to be destroyed by the Church. Death itself is to be destroyed by Christ at His return.
If the other enemies are not made His footstool before His coming, how do you reconcile the passages that say they will be (Ps 110:1; Lk 20:43; Acts 2:35; Heb 1:13; Heb 10:13)?