Essay on Amillennialism
Introduction
Isaiah was an Israelite prophet believed to have lived in the 8th Century BC. He would have lived in the period between the kings Uzziah (approximately 767 BC) and Hezekiah (approximately 686 BC). Traditional view states that Isaiah wrote chapters 1-39 and the rest were written by others somewhere around the exile of the Israelites to captivity 605 BC and some parts after the exile.
However, for the sake of this essay, I would refer to the author as the author, as the validity of the authorship does not fall in the scope of this essay. What matters is how we see the 60th Chapter; in the light of God stepping into the world as the man - Jesus. This essay looks at the Church, the body of Christ and the bride of Christ i.e. made up of all believers who take the role part in sharing the suffering along with Christ.
Approach
I have approached this portion with a mild view of supersessionism (replacement theology), with an emphasis on mild economic supersessionism and here is my defence for it. As explained by Pauline epistles, the Church takes the role as the bride of Christ. This role is similar to that of Israel in the Old Testament as the bride or the wife of God. The view that I have adopted in this essay is that the nation of Israel, however important it may be, does not play the central figure anymore in the redemptive story but rather the Church does.
Although the role that Israel (as a sovereign nation) plays is irrelevant, the Jews do play a shared role with the multitudes that the Church is composed of because of God’s mercy and His covenant with their fathers. As a means to help the reader understand, I am not against Israel being a sovereign nation but as in this essay, I state that the Church is given prominence while the Jews (and with it the nation Israel) share in the blessing. There is an obvious blessing that goes to the Jews as Pauls says “The gospel is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek”, this intending that there is an inheritance or blessing that is reserved for the Jews – but not just Jews.
It means although there exists a covenant, the first fruits of the promise were enjoyed by the Christians on the day of Pentecost.
In the next section, I go verse by verse where possible to explain the effect this chapter has on the age after Jesus’s resurrection, the current age and the age to come. The verses are taken from the English Standard Version.
Analysis and Thoughts
[1] Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you.
The first verse of the sixtieth chapter invites the reader to a time of prosperity, a day to rejoicing, asking them to arise. Considering historical practices, it is a calling to rise from mourning. The second command is to shine. The verse brings the listener to a point of hope akin to an answered prayer – telling them that the glory of the LORD has risen on them. The content is poetic and prophetic. The author tells then to act now because of Jesus’s victory over sin.
[2] For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the LORD will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you.
The light that the author says that would come would be in the midst of darkness. The darkness is not only faced by Israel but also by all nations. Looking at this portion during the COVID-19 pandemic where nations and their leaders are disconcerted, one does feel the weight of the darkness. Has the glory not shone already? Yes, it has – in Christ. Where is then His glory now seen? In the Church or the spiritual Zion. This verse also reminds us of a woman about to give birth. The moments before birth are intense pain yet this pain leads to rejoicing.
[3] And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.
This light that has shone is the beacon that the nations in the darkness have waited for. When reading this sentence, one must come to a crossroad. The first road says that this light is yet to come, making the life of Jesus here on earth a mere candle in the brightness of this LED-powered torch or the other road that says that these events have indeed come to pass and we live because Jesus was the light that came to the world. This sentence does draw our attention to the words of Jesus when He says “I am the light of the world” and the verse “You are the light of the world” - Does not the rising and falling of nations show us this truth? Has not the Church drawn the mighty to herself? In the funeral ceremony of the Habsburg monarchs, the knowledge of this light is shown as the doors of the church are shut before a king but open to a sinner who seeks grace. Hence, I propose the glory that belongs to Israel, often called the bride of God (Jer. 31) does indeed belong to the Church – or the bride of Christ and that the events in this chapter have already been fulfilled.
[4] Lift up your eyes all around, and see; they all gather together, they come to you; your sons shall come from afar, and your daughters shall be carried on the hip.
This is the promise to the bride (the Church), that there will be an abundance – of people, of children, of wealth that would adorn the bride of God. The people will not be coming as refugees (for the daughters are being carried) but rather they come as they come home, glad and jubilant.
[5] Then you shall see and be radiant; your heart shall thrill and exult, because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you, the wealth of the nations shall come to you.
The bride is also blessed with the wealth of the nations. The new Zion will be a place where there is permeance, that people sell all that they have and bring their wealth with them. One sees that this has partially occurred on the day of Pentecost when the wealth of the nations – their people had been added to the Church. In the days of the early Church, everyone brought their processions so that they could be united in suffering and rejoicing with the bride.
[6] A multitude of camels shall cover you, the young camels of Midian and Ephah; all those from Sheba shall come. They shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall bring good news, the praises of the LORD.
Continuing from the last verse, if a physical restoration of Israel was to be the ultimate fulfilment, then the lands of present-day war [1] torn Yemen [2], Islamic centre Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the countries like Oman, UAE, Bahrain, Qatar would have to show their alliance to Israel to enable it to be a centre for Judaism.
However, events of such proportions have already occurred but in another manner. Believers from Arabic speaking countries are being converted and at one point the epicentre of the Church lay between Ethiopia and Saudi Arabia [3].
[7] All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered to you; the rams of Nebaioth shall minister to you; they shall come up with acceptance on my altar, and I will beautify my beautiful house.
In the same manner, as the last two verses, Kedar and Nebaioth – the descendants of these lands (areas in the middle east) have indeed been submitted unto the authority of Jesus. They bring in the fruits of obedience and sacrifice at the altar of submission to the cross.
[8] Who are these that fly like a cloud, and like doves to their windows?
Doves come to their windows or their homes with ease. This verse shows us the age where people come to Jesus gladly as one comes home.
[9] For the coastlands shall hope for me, the ships of Tarshish first, to bring your children from afar, their silver and gold with them, for the name of the LORD your God, and for the Holy One of Israel, because he has made you beautiful.
[10a] Foreigners shall build up your walls, and their kings shall minister to you;
Both the verses emphasize the glory that all men would give to Christ, either in the life they live now or the life to come. They state that such richness shall adorn the bride of Christ, with gold and silver. This is where we see the work of God’s hand, for he had brought peoples to him to make the Church – not just one race but a multitude of races. The repetition of the gold and silver also emphasises that just as the lands had different styles of making and working with jewellery, so will the new bride be adorned with the lives and music and styles and languages of various nations. The Church will have its walls build by such a ministry of nations.
[10b] for in my wrath I struck you, but in my favour, I have had mercy on you.
These words bring comfort to a Christian for we know that the blow was borne by Christ and that it was at the expense of Jesus that we have favour. In the view of a newly inaugurated millennium, these words bring hope and strengthen the faith of a believer – knowing that the mercy and the punishment that one endures is not from a point of wrath but from a father who disciplines his child.
[11] Your gates shall be open continually; day and night they shall not be shut, that people may bring to you the wealth of the nations, with their kings led in procession.
The gates are never allowed to close because of the influx of the people entering it. The Church will draw all types of people including their rulers.
[12] For the nation and kingdom that will not serve you shall perish; those nations shall be utterly laid waste.
This verse issues a warning to the nations, both the Jews and Gentiles, both as individuals and nations, that the Lamb should be worshipped, and those who fail to serve him and his bride – or those who turn their hearts away or persecute the bride would face eternal ruins.
[13] The glory of Lebanon shall come to you, the cypress, the plane, and the pine, to beautify the place of my sanctuary, and I will make the place of my feet glorious.
To look at this verse from an old testament view would mean that the temple would have to build again and sacrifices would have to be made on the altar again. This then nullifies the work of Christ. The sacrifice of Christ was for once and for eternal. The act of sacrificing an animal on the altar for the remission of sins is blasphemous and ignorant.
The characteristics of bold and tall standing cypress - boldly declare the word, the plane (or fir) evergreen – ready to declare the Lord at all times, and pine – that spreads the aroma of the Lord to all; would set the sanctuary in the hearts of the believer – the place where the feet of the Lord is worshipped.
[14] The sons of those who afflicted you shall come bending low to you, and all who despised you shall bow down at your feet; they shall call you the City of the LORD, the Zion of the Holy One of Israel.
This will be a time for the Church, a place where even her enemies humble – a place where she, the bride is recognised in her beauty and majesty – recognised for her place in human and eternal history as Zion was to the old testament, so would the Church be exalted.
[15] Whereas you have been forsaken and hated, with no one passing through, I will make you majestic forever, a joy from age to age.
The old Jerusalem had been rejected by people because they found it impossible to follow the law. Here, the Church stands welcoming all. There is a joy when people know that there is grace for sinners and salvation for those who repent. This joy is being declared from one generation to the next.
[16] You shall suck the milk of nations; you shall nurse at the breast of kings; and you shall know that I, the LORD, am your Saviour and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.
This is the promise God gives his bride. A place of honour and recognition. The Church holds an important place, even at the palaces of secular countries.
[17] Instead of bronze I will bring gold, and instead of iron I will bring silver; instead of wood, bronze, instead of stones, iron. I will make your overseers peace and your taskmasters righteousness.
The Church is said to be built with silver replaces iron (implying richness), bronze instead of wood & iron instead of stones (showing permeance). The old city was built on weaker materials and now they have removed and the eternal city is built on its place. Righteousness and peace will be the mark of its peoples.
[18] Violence shall no more be heard in your land, devastation or destruction within your borders; you shall call your walls Salvation, and your gates Praise.
In this city, walls would be called salvation – meaning that the violence is moved so far from her midst that just by being in the city - one would experience salvation. The gates that are never closed are praises to the Lord. Such is the life of a believer who enters the City.
[19] The sun shall be no more your light by day, nor for brightness shall the moon give you light; but the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory.
These resound the words of Jesus, when he calls the believer and the Church the city on a hill where the Holy Spirit rests, this means that it would be visible to everyone around them. The Church will represent the eternal Kingdom in this glory.
Abraham Kuyper is an example of such a light-shiner. He was a politician, the prime minister of Netherlands, a pastor, a theologian, an author, an academic administrator setting up university and a professor in his lifetime. Such is the light that shines out when the Lord enables.
[20] Your sun shall no more go down, nor your moon withdraw itself; for the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your days of mourning shall be ended.
This verse elaborates on the eternal Kingdom – a place where the Lord will be seated. However, it will not be before weeping. For its emphasis that as this takes place, the weeping would end. This glory that the Church would attain eventually will be after much affliction or/and persecution. We hope and long for the fulfilment of this Kingdom. At the same time, we eagerly wait with the knowledge that this Kingdom is going to be established through tears.
[21] Your people shall all be righteous; they shall possess the land forever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I might be glorified.
In this verse, we see the sanctified Bride, the peoples saved by the blood of the Lamb, will be adorned with righteousness. The people in this new Kingdom are those who remain in Jesus, the Jews who would follow him and we (Gentiles) who are grafted in. The new city will be filled with those who are part of branches of the vine that is the Lamb.
[22] The least one shall become a clan, and the smallest one a mighty nation; I am the LORD; in its time I will hasten it. (ESV)
The author ends the passage that there is a fulfilment to these, a time when these would occur and the time is not for men to figure out but rather of the Lord. In this Kingdom, even the smallest clan will be valued as an important nation implying that everyone is equal in this Kingdom.
Conclusion
The understanding of the role of the Church in eschatology matters – especially the understanding of the reign of Christ now and in the future. One may like to dream and wish that the future is perfect and the Church would be powerful and then only would the Lord come. This view is skewing the fact the Church is meant to suffer along with Christ as the world has also rejected the Church. On looking at the facts from a classical or a dispensational premillennial view, we see that the Church does suffer but the suffering will be taken away as the Church is raptured. This view too fails to consider that suffering is an ongoing aspect of the Church. In the Soviet era, many died for the sake of the gospel and so is it still now in China and some Islamic nations.
We as a Church are here for a reason – to establish the Kingdom that Christ owns. This is when we die to ourselves and bear the marks of His sufferings that we too as a Church would be glorified in Him. Like John ends the Revelation, so do I say “Maranatha”.
Bibliography
[1]
“Yemen crisis: Why is there a war?,” 10 February 2020. [Online]. Available: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-29319423. [Accessed 20 May 2020].
[2]
W. G. Dever, Who Were the Early Israelites and Where Did They Come From?, Grand Rapids, Mich: Eerdmans, 2003.
[3]
J. A. LANGFELDT, “Recently discovered early Christian monuments in Northeastern Arabia,” Arabian Archaeology and Epigraphy, vol. 5, no. 1, p. 60, 1994.
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