The truth about the millennial kingdom. The doctrine of the thousand-year reign of Christ in modern Baptistism The thousand-year reign of Christ

Cranach, Lucas the Elder, The Golden Age. “And they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.” Is. 2:4

Chiliasm(from Greek χῑλιάς - thousand), or millenarianism(from lat. mille - thousand and lat. annus - year) - ideas within the framework of Christian eschatology about “the period of the triumph of God’s righteousness on earth”, about a “golden age” in which Jesus Christ and Christians will rule the world for 1,000 years.

According to millenarians, at the end of the 1000-year Kingdom, the time will come for the Last Judgment, the End of the World and the establishment of a future eternal state - under a new heaven on a new Earth (Rev. 21:1). Some of them believe that between the end of the Millennial Kingdom and the Last Judgment there will be a short period in which the decisive battle with Satan will take place.

As the historian of religion and philosopher Academician L.N. Mitrokhin notes, having become “an expression of the dreams of the broad masses about earthly justice and the elimination of social evil” Chiliasm has been controversial throughout church history. This doctrine was often used for political purposes, and the discussion about it sometimes became heated. Different views of the Millennial Kingdom have prevailed in different eras, ranging from a literal understanding to the most refined spiritualistic interpretation.

Currently, various variants of millennialism (premillennialism, postmillennialism) have become widespread in some Protestant churches (Baptists, Pentecostals and other movements whose eschatology was influenced by dispensationalism). In the "historical churches" and classical Protestantism, amillennialism predominates, but other forms of chiliasm are also present.

Millenarianism is often understood in a broad sense as the doctrine of the period of the triumph of God’s truth on earth.

Chiliasm and the Bible

In the Old Testament

“Then the wolf will live with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the kid; and the calf, and the young lion, and the ox will be together, and a little child will lead them.”(Isa.11:6)

The advent of the “Golden Age” was predicted by a number of Old Testament prophets. This was prophesied by Isaiah (for example, Is.2:2-4, Is.11:6-9, Is.16:4, Is.65:17-25, etc.), Ezekiel (Ezek.40.48), Micah ( Micah 4:1) and others.

In the Old Testament this period is described as a time of happiness, health and prosperity (Isa. 35:5). The redeemed of the Lord will return to Zion and eternal joy will be over their heads, they will find joy and gladness, and sorrow and groaning will be removed (Is. 35:10, Is. 51:11). At this time the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea (Isa. 11:9). Then not only individual people, but also entire nations will be friends; people will no longer learn to fight (Is. 2:4). Then the primacy of man in creation will be restored, which he lost due to the fall, and which he regained through the death of Jesus Christ (Gen. 1:28, Gen. 3:17-19, Is. 16:4, Ps. 20:4 -6).

In premillennialism, the messianic era is identified with both the Millennium and the time after the Last Judgment (new heaven and new earth). In amillennialism, traditional in Catholicism, Orthodoxy and "historical Protestantism", the messianic era is identified with the "time of the Church" (between the first and second coming of Christ) or the time after the second coming of Christ (new heaven and new earth).

In the apocrypha

In the period between the writing of the Old and New Testaments, as well as in the 1st century, prophecies about the Messianic Kingdom on earth appear more and more often - in the apocrypha (in the Book of Enoch, the Apocalypse of Baruch, the Third Book of Ezra).

In the Book of Revelation

Millenarianism is based on a literal reading of biblical prophecy:

And I saw thrones and those sitting on them, to whom judgment had been given, and the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their foreheads or on their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years . (Rev.20:4)

In total, at the beginning of chapter 20 of the Book of Revelation, the expression “a thousand years” (Greek τὰ χίλια ἔτη) is used six times:

1. Verse 2 - Satan is bound for a thousand years;
2. Verse 3 - Satan will be released after a thousand years;
3. Verse 4 - judgment, resurrection of the dead and the thousand-year reign of those resurrected;
4. Verse 5 - the rest of the dead did not rise again until a thousand years had passed;
5. Verse 6 - beatitude, holiness and priesthood of those resurrected in the first resurrection;
6. Verse 7 - Satan's release after a thousand years.

In addition to these prophecies, certain Old Testament prophecies are associated with the thousand-year kingdom in chiliasm.

Basic Concepts of Interpretation of the Millennial Kingdom

In the Christian Church, there are three main approaches to the interpretation of Bible verses that contain references or allusions to the Millennial Kingdom: premillennialism, postmillennialism, and amillennialism. The basis for the divergence was the question of what exactly in the prophecy from the Book of Revelation should be interpreted literally and what - symbolically.

Premillennialism

Differences in Christian Views of the Millennial Kingdom

Premillennialists believe that Scripture should be interpreted literally until the context clearly shows that the author intended otherwise.

They believe that the Millennial Kingdom will be established after the Second Coming of Christ and the associated time of Great Tribulation for humanity. Christ will reign for 1000 years while physically remaining on Earth. The righteous will rise and reign with Christ. At the end of the millennium there will be a brief rebellion of Satan. It will be quickly suppressed, the wicked dead will be brought to justice. After this will come eternity.

There are two main forms of premillennialism:

In the eschatology of historical premillennialism, the visible coming of Jesus Christ and the rapture of the Church is preceded by a great tribulation, and in dispensational premillennialism, the invisible rapture of the Church is distinguished separately from the visible second coming, which, according to their views, will be before the Great Tribulation.

Famous representatives of historical premillennialism - Charles Spurgeon, George Ladd, dispensationalism - John Nelson Darby, Cyrus Scofield.

Postmillennialism

Postmillennialists believe that the Millennial Kingdom precedes the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Moreover, the Millennium itself is usually understood not literally as 1000 years, but simply as a long period of time.

The eschatological idea of ​​the Millennial Kingdom, as conceived by postmillennialists, is the continuous growth of the influence of the Gospel on the world and the conversion of more and more people to Christianity. As a result, Christians will increasingly change the world for the better, society will more and more live according to the laws of God, as a result of which a “golden age” will come on Earth. It will end with the Second Coming of Christ, the final judgment and the creation of a new heaven and a new earth.

The “father” of postmillennialism is considered to be the 17th century writer and theologian Daniel Whitby, who believed that “Christ will reign over the world, ruling it spiritually through His Church and its preaching of the gospel message.” .

The Orthodox theologian John of Kronstadt held views similar to postmillennialism. In his opinion, a millennium (the duration was understood by him allegorically) “kingdoms of priests and evangelists who had the greatest authority among the peoples”(as evidenced, he believed, by the crusades and military victories over Muslims) lasted until the end of the Middle Ages. This time, when, according to John of Kronstadt, the devil was bound, ended in the 16th century “from the spread of lies and slander against the Lord during the period of the so-called encyclopedists” .

At the end of the 20th century, variants of postmillennialism were formed within the charismatic movement, known as the “kingdom now”/“kingdom of the present time” and “power theology”. These concepts advocate the imminent establishment of the Church's dominion over every sphere of public life, the creation of political "Christian governments" in key countries of the world, the eradication of anti-Christian laws, the final fulfillment of the Great Commission and the preparation of the planet for the "meeting with Christ." In the post-Soviet space, the spokesman for these ideas was Pastor Alexey Ledyaev, author of the book “New World Order.”

Amillennialism

Amillennialists also understand the Millennial Kingdom allegorically. They believe that this period lasts now, in the age of the Church, between the resurrection of Christ and His second coming. Amillennialists believe that at this time Satan is “bound,” meaning his influence over humanity is very limited. And Christ symbolically rules in the hearts of people. The second coming of Christ will mark the end of this period. Those who are said to reign with Christ for a thousand years in the Book of Revelation are the dead Christians who are in heaven. In turn, the reign of Christ during the millennium is not physical, but heavenly. Some amillennialists believe that Christ will never, even symbolically, rule on earth. For them, the millennial kingdom means the heavenly reign of Christ for eternity.

Amillennialism and premillennialism are close to each other in historical pessimism (the expectation of a general apostasy and the reign of the Antichrist, and not the final Christianization of the world), which contrasts them with postmillennialism. Therefore, the amillennial critique of “chiliasm” is directed primarily at postmillennial views. Forms of postmillennialism should not be confused with amillennialism, which consider the history of the Church to be a “hidden stage” of the Kingdom, but also profess its visible triumph in the world before the coming of Christ.

The Millennial Kingdom in the Theology of Christian Denominations

Amillennial views, dominant in Catholic and Orthodox theology, as well as included in the theology of the Reformation churches, were formulated in the 4th century by Augustine the Blessed (they are most fully set out in his work “On the City of God”).

According to Doctor of Theology Alexander Popov, the attitude of the Church to the Millennial Kingdom is connected with its concept of social self-awareness: if the Church imagines itself as dominant over society, then it perceives the Millennial Kingdom as actually being realized at the present time, but if the Church is in a hostile environment and represents external society as the habitat of Satan, she sees the implementation of the Millennial Kingdom in the future. During the time of Augustine, the preaching of the Gospel achieved great success - Christianity was accepted by the vast Roman Empire and this fact influenced its attitude towards the Millennial Kingdom, Popov believes.

Position of the Roman Catholic Church

The eschatology of the Roman Catholic Church is based on the concept of amillennialism. In the Catechism of the Catholic Church, chiliasm is called " a softened form of falsification of the future kingdom", which together with " political form of secularized messianism" characterized as " Antichrist's deception (...) the claim to fulfill in history the messianic hope, which can only be fulfilled beyond its borders through the eschatological judgment (...) not through the historical triumph of the Church achieved by upward movement, but through the victory of God over evil in its final offensive» .

Although this objection applies exclusively to postmillennialism, the Catholic Church does not sanction premillennialism, stating in 1944 that " the system of moderate millenarianism, teaching that Christ the Lord, even before the final judgment, either with or without the preliminary resurrection of many righteous, will apparently come to rule this earth (...) cannot be taught safely» .

Position of the Orthodox Church

It is known that in the ancient Church there were individual supporters of the doctrine of the coming thousand-year reign of Christ with the saints. However, at the Second Ecumenical Council this doctrine was condemned by the Church.

Basically, the Orthodox Church adheres to amillennialism, rejecting the literal interpretation of the Millennial Kingdom, believing that the Kingdom is not food and drink, but righteousness and peace and holiness in the Holy Spirit, the internal content of the Kingdom is created from the Church or, more precisely, from the people who form it, the devil from time her birth no longer deceives the nations (τὰ ἔθνη - pagans) to whom the Gospel was preached, for he was bound and driven out on Calvary, and his house was plundered, although he acts in the air, but has lost the power to act in souls, but he is God for non-believers, i.e. the vision described in Rev. 20:1-10 is a vision of what actually happened before and how the victory was won against hell and the powers of darkness (the release of the devil is preceded by the appearance or revelation of the man of sin). The first resurrection mentioned in Revelation 20:5 is the new birth which is spoken of much in the Gospels. According to this interpretation, under the Millennial Kingdom “We should understand the period of time from the very beginning of the blessed kingdom of the Church of Christ, especially the Heavenly Church, triumphant. The Church militant on earth, in essence, also triumphs in the victory accomplished by the Savior, but it is still going through a battle with the “prince of this age,” which will end with the defeat of Satan and his final casting into the lake of fire.” .

An important argument in favor of this interpretation is the understanding that there will not be two or even three comings of Christ, but one, as well as one general resurrection, and all this will happen on the last day, at the end of the age.

Thus, the Good News or Gospel of the Kingdom is that the summer of the Lord has come and the entrance to this summer or Kingdom is open to those who seek His righteousness.

Chiliastic views were shared by some of the fathers and teachers of the Orthodox Church, who adhered to them as their private opinion, which did not conflict with the general church doctrine. To this day, there is no unanimity in Orthodoxy in condemning the literal understanding of the Millennial Kingdom: “they fell into error, fell into condemnation and turned into insignificance the names of the enemies and opponents of this great truth”. Orthodox theology does not put a final point on this issue. "The History of Dogma"- writes Archpriest S. N. Bulgakov, - knows certain private opinions, which, moreover, differ to the point of complete opposites, but there has not been and still is not a church definition.” .

Premillennial eschatology is reflected in “A Brief Tale of the Antichrist” by Orthodox philosopher V.S. Solovyov, in which the author revises his early historical optimism (in fact, postmillennial).

Protestantism

Lutheranism - Since the time of Luther, Lutheran theology has adhered to the amillennial concept.

The main doctrinal documents of the churches of the Reformation (Augsburg Confession, 1, vii; “Thirty-nine Articles,” IV; Westminster Confession, ch. 32-33), expressed faith in the return of Christ, but said nothing about apocalyptic millenarianism.

The ideas of millenarianism were popular at a certain time among the Anabaptists during the Reformation, among the Puritans during the English Revolution in the 17th century. After the Great French Revolution, there was a revival of interest in the ideas of premillennialism, which gained particular popularity among Protestants in the 19th century. In the 19th century, thanks to Darby, dispensationalism became widespread among conservative Protestants in the United States and supplanted older premillennial ideas. In the 20th century, the ideas of dispensationalism received new impetus through the publication of the Scofield Reference Bible and the activities of the theological schools of Moody Bible Institute and Dallas Theological Seminary.

Currently, various variants of millennialism (premillennialism, postmillennialism) have become widespread in Protestant churches whose eschatology has been influenced by dispensationalism (mainly Baptists, Pentecostals).

In Seventh-day Adventist theology, the Millennium is understood as the period between the first resurrection (of the righteous) at the second coming of Christ and the second resurrection (of the unrighteous). At this time, all the saved will be taken to heaven, the Earth will be devastated, and in heaven the judgment of the unrighteous dead will take place (their lives will be examined in the presence of the saved). After this, the Heavenly Jerusalem will descend to Earth, the unrighteous will be resurrected and, deceived by Satan, will go to war against the Heavenly Jerusalem, but will be destroyed by fire.

The theology of liberal Protestantism is characterized by denial of the literalness of the second coming of Jesus Christ and the apocalyptic events associated with it. Eschatology is viewed in an ethical sense; popular ideas are about building the Kingdom of God on Earth through the gradual transformation of society under the influence of the preaching of the Gospel (the ideology of “social evangelism”).

The Millennial Kingdom in the Theology of Para-Christian Denominations

Ideas about the Millennial Kingdom exist in some para-Christian denominations.

Jehovah witnesses

In the eschatology of Jehovah's Witnesses, the Millennium is understood literally as 1000 years after Armageddon, during which the unrighteous will be destroyed, after which a paradise on Earth will be built under the leadership of 144,000 “anointed ones” taken to heaven.

Representatives of this school of thought understand the Millennial Kingdom as the period after the second coming of Jesus Christ, while they believe that the second coming has already happened invisibly in 1914, and the countdown of the thousand-year period will begin after Armageddon. At this time, in addition to the “great multitude” of the faithful “from all nations and tribes and peoples and languages” (Rev. 7:9), those who did not have the opportunity to hear the message of Jehovah’s Kingdom in order to make their choice will be resurrected. Jehovah's Witnesses connect the prophecy of the 144 thousand from the Book of Revelation (Rev. 7:1-8 and Rev. 14:1) with the idea of ​​​​the Millennial Kingdom, taking their number literally and considering them as having the “heavenly hope” of representatives from all nations who will taken to heaven, while all the other saved ones who have an “earthly hope” will live on earth after the onset of the Millennial Kingdom. Most of the 144,000 heavenly “anointed ones” have already been taken away invisibly to heaven after their death. Then, after 1000 years of imprisonment, Satan will be released and will deceive many living on earth, but all of them, along with Satan, will be finally destroyed by God.

History of millenarianism

Theologian Wayne Grudem has noted that the popularity of premillennialism among believers grows during historical periods when the Church suffers persecution and “evil and suffering increase in the world.”

Chiliasm and the Church of the First Centuries

The author of the History of the Christian Church, Philip Schaff, noted that chiliasm was not a teaching of the Church embodied in any creed or form of confession, but it was "the widely held opinion of various teachers" .

Premillennial views can be found in the works of such Church Fathers as Barnabas, Irenaeus, Tertullian, Justin the Philosopher, Hippolytus of Rome, Papias of Hierapolis, Nepos of Egypt, Lactantius, Methodius of Patara, Julius Africanus, Apollinaris of Laodicea and others.

Thus, Papias of Hierapolis (died in 155) wrote: “After the resurrection of the dead, the Millennium will come when Christ will establish His Kingdom on earth.”. Papias wrote a lyrical description of this time: “The days will come, and there will be vineyards with ten thousand vines in each, and on each vine there will be ten thousand shoots: on each shoot there will be ten thousand bunches (ten thousand grapes each), and each will yield 25 measures of wine. And when one of the saints picks a bunch, another will shout: “I am better than her, pick me and thank the Lord with me.”. At the same time, Irenaeus of Lyons considered Papias’s speech about vineyards beautiful and fully accepted his ideas.

Justin Martyr (lived 110-165) wrote: “I and other Christians who are sound in all things know that there will be a resurrection of the body and a millennium in Jerusalem, which will be built, beautified and exalted.” .

In turn, Origen, the Alexandrian theological school, Augustine, Gregory the Theologian, Ephraim the Syrian and others opposed chiliasm in the same era.

Medieval chiliasm

Execution of the Amalricans. Illustration from a 15th century French chronicle

In the Middle Ages, millenarianism became mystified (Joachimites, Apostolics, and Amalricans appeared), simultaneously taking on an anti-feudal character. It was officially condemned as heresy and severely persecuted.

In the Constantinian era, chiliastic aspirations are gradually transferred to the Empire, the Christianization of which is seen as the fulfillment of prophecy. As the historian Eusebius of Caesarea wrote, the participants in the Council of Nicaea, having just suffered the horrors of Diocletian’s persecution, at the sight of the honors that the Emperor and his army gave them, wondered whether “the Millennial Kingdom promised by John had already arrived.” Under these conditions, the expectation of Christ's Kingdom on earth could only fuel rebellious sentiments against the Empire, which happened more than once subsequently. On the other hand, the Roman Church, as its confrontation with the Empire deepened, gradually came to declare not the Empire, but itself, the already arrived “Messianic Kingdom.”

It is interesting to note that the Bratids in Sakartvelo (Georgia), starting from the 11th century, declared themselves the descendants of King David, and Sakartvelo was identified with the Millennial Kingdom of Revelation.

Similarly, Metropolitan Zosima, after the collapse of general expectations of the coming of Christ in 1492 (7000 “from the creation of the world”), in the new Paschal, carries out the same thought in relation to the Russian state.

There is a widespread misconception that chiliasm was allegedly condemned by the Ecumenical Councils. In fact, the Second Ecumenical Council rejected only the use of this teaching by Apollinaris of Laodicea, who belittled the Son before the Father by contrasting the temporary, “thousand-year” kingdom of the Son with the eternal kingdom of the Father. Against this false teaching, the Council adopted the addition to the Creed “of His kingdom there will be no end.”

In keeping with the established tradition of "spiritual" interpretation of the Millennium, many medieval scribes simply produced those chapters in which Irenaeus of Lyons spoke about the millennium. In the first Russian edition of the works of Irenaeus (1900), these chapters were preserved, but in the libraries of theological academies and seminaries they were often simply cut out.

A strong impetus to the new wave of chiliasm was given by the Calabrian abbot Joachim of Flora (1132-1201) with the teaching of the so-called Christianity of the Third Testament. According to the teachings of Joachim, world history falls into three periods: the Old Testament - the Kingdom of God the Father, the New Testament - the Kingdom of God the Son and the coming Third Testament - the Kingdom of the Holy Spirit, which will begin in 1260. It is in the Kingdom of the Third Testament that all the promises of the Old and New Testaments will be fulfilled: people will have spiritual bodies that do not require food; Freedom and love will triumph on earth, and all power will wither away as unnecessary. This will be a thousand-year heavenly state on earth. The followers of Gnosticism did not fully agree with this teaching, since they advocated the destruction of the world. The chiliasm of Joachim of Flora was condemned by the Catholic Church at the IV Lateran Council. Historian Norman Cohn, who has devoted extensive research to apocalyptic movements in Europe in the 11th to 16th centuries, calls Joachim of Flores “the most influential European prophet before the advent of Marxism.” Under the influence of the ideas of Joachim of Flora, the flagellant movement arose in Italy in the 13th century.

During the Reformation

Cages on the tower of the Church of St. Lambert, in which the bodies of Anabaptist leaders were exhibited, who, under the influence of millenarian ideas, created the Munster Commune in 1534-1535

Millennial utopias shook European society in the pre-Reformation period and especially during the Reformation. The era of the Reformation saw the demystification of millenarianism. The idea of ​​God's kingdom on earth came to be seen as future compensation for injustice in this life. At the same time, believers began to perceive it as achievable in “this worldly life” with the help of their own efforts.

This idea gave rise to religious-communist ideas that influenced society during the era of the Peasants' War in Germany and the English Revolution. Leaders believed that private property was “corrupting” people and should therefore be abolished. This caused opposition from the official churches. After the leaders of the Munster Commune, influenced by millenarianism, decided to build a “New Zion” and created a theocratic state based on the communist principles of community of property and social equality, millenarianism was condemned by the Lutheran and other reformed churches.

In new and modern times

Premillennial theology changed after the Reformation. This period is characterized by a refusal to attempt to transform the existing society. Millenarianism is oriented not outside, but inside the Church; the Millennial Kingdom is placed outside the boundaries of earthly history. In modern evangelical Protestant fundamentalism, the Second Coming of Christ is perceived as an upcoming literal historical event, but the idea of ​​the Millennial Kingdom has become "very abstract and vague."

Chiliasm among the Russian intelligentsia

The influence of chiliasm turned out to be long-lasting and profound; we see its last surge in the Russian Silver Age - in the so-called “new religious consciousness” (D. Merezhkovsky, N. Berdyaev, V. Rozanov, Z. Gippius, etc.), which S. N. Bulgakov characterized as an intellectual chiliastic sect .

Impact on human history

The embodiment of the chiliastic dream in Soviet art. Ivan Golikov, “Comintern”, 1927

“All socialist utopias, hopes for the onset of future perfection, for the good result of progress, are a psychological experience and psychological transformation of chiliasm”, - wrote the Russian philosopher N.A. Berdyaev.

The Christian idea of ​​a kingdom of justice and prosperity on earth has been borrowed many times by various political movements of the socialist and communist direction. Of course, the socialists were not going to wait for the coming of Christ. It was proposed to build “Heaven on Earth” on our own. This ideology is clearly expressed in the proletarian anthem "The Internationale"

No one will give us deliverance: Neither god, nor king, nor hero. We will achieve liberation with Our own hand.

Workers, peasants, we will be the Great Army of Labor. The earth was given for the happiness of people, Let's drive away the drones forever! Having drunk blood to his fill, the Vulture is drunk, and the raven is full. Let's ensure that they are gone, And again the sun will illuminate the world!

Millenarianism and philosophy

Russian philosopher Nikolai Berdyaev wrote: “The chiliastic idea contains a person’s dream of happiness and bliss, of a messianic feast, of paradise not only in heaven, but also on earth, not only in eternity, but even in our historical time.”. He saw this as a paradox of time and eternity. “We transfer to eternity, which relates only to time,- he wrote. - It is impossible to think of perfection, completeness, wholeness in time. The thought of perfection in time causes languishing boredom, it seems to be a stop in the creative movement, complacency.” .

The conflict between supporters and opponents of chiliasm is partly caused by the fact that a person thinks within the framework of history, he is always within history, while the Millennial Kingdom, according to Berdyaev, is the end of history, an ahistorical phenomenon. “We find ourselves at borders everywhere if we want to reach outer horizons.”, wrote the philosopher Karl Jaspers.

Bibliography

• Rozhkov V. Essays on the history of the Roman Catholic Church. M., 1994
• Prot. Alexander Men. Reading the Apocalypse. M.2000
• Prot. Sergius Bulgakov. Apocalypse of John. M., 1991
• Gaidenko P. P. Apocalypticism, chiliasm and Hellenic philosophy.

Notes

1. Alexander Men -
2. Christianity: Dictionary. /Ed. L. N. Mitrokhina - M: Republic, 1994. - pp. 277, 278.
3. Gontar D. B. -
4. Alexander Men - Bibliological dictionary. Chiliasm
5. Lopukhin's Explanatory Bible. Com. on Isaiah 11:6-9
6. Alexander Men - Bibliological dictionary. Chiliasm
7. Per. from English P.99.
8. Henry A. Verkler. - “Hermeneutics. Principles and Process of Biblical Interpretation." USA, 1995 Trans. from English P.100.
9. Gontar D. B. - Understanding the Millennium in Rev. 20:1-6
10. Breast Wayne.
11. Cornelis Venema. Assessing premillennialism
12. Dale Kuyper. The Premillennial Fallacy
13. Breast Wayne. Systematic theology: Introduction to biblical teaching //Translation from English: Batukhtina T.G., Genke V.N. - St. Petersburg: Myrtle. 2004. Chapter 54

This chapter is directly adjacent in content to the previous one as its continuation. At the same time, it also has its own, in its uniqueness in general the most unique theme, available only in Revelation, this is precisely the thousand-year kingdom of Christians on earth. In a certain sense, we can say that it is the center of everything. Revelations and his most original teaching, which naturally attracts the exclusive attention of both textual exegesis and dogmatic interpretation.

This chapter opens with 1) a vision of an Angel descending from heaven, “who had the key to the abyss and a large chain in his hand (XX, 1). This is, of course, an allegorical expression, a symbol of power over Satan, which was given to him deliberately here or was acquired by him as a result of the victory of Michael and his angels in the war with the dragon and his angels (XII, 7, 9). Archangel Michael or in general one of his army “took the dragon, the ancient serpent” (2) (cf. XII, 9). His power had already diminished after his overthrow from heaven by the Archangel Michael, as well as after the battle described in the previous chapter, when his tools and servants - the beast and the false prophet - were captured and thrown into the lake of fire. (This idea is expressed allegorically in Mf. XII, 29: “How can anyone enter the house of a strong man and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man, and then he plunders his house” or in Luke XI, 21 ff. The angel “bound the serpent for a thousand years and cast him into the abyss and put a seal over him so that he would no longer deceive the nations.”

1) Exegetes who are opposed to the full acceptance of the contents of the chapter, in particular the doctrine of the millennial kingdom, pay attention to the initial: “and I saw,” also IV, 11, 12; XXI, 1, in contrast to the previous chapters with their “after that I saw” (also XVIII, 1 or XIX, 1). From this they conclude that here we are not talking about a sequence of events, but about their simultaneity. But can’t the sequence of presentation, the place in the context, sufficiently indicate it? (This is especially clear from further comparisons: XI, 12; XXI, 1).

after this, “he should be released for a short time.” This “conclusion” seems for a time to contradict Jude. I, 6: “He preserves the angels who did not keep their dignity, but left their own habitation, in everlasting bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day” and 2 Peter, ii. However Revelation XX, 3 refers specifically to Satan, but in relation to angels it can also have an expanded application, allowing for an exception or a special interpretation: we know from the Gospel that demons are allowed to carry out their tempting work - in particular, they ask Christ, who expelled them from the possessed one, “not to be sent into the abyss,” but to be allowed to “move into the herd of swine” (Luke VIII, 31). The overthrow of Satan and imprisonment in the abyss with a seal placed on him allegorically means such an influence of divine power on Satan, weakened in his strength, which makes him paralyzed, depriving him of his inherent energy of evil. However, this does not yet mean its final eruption from the world. This state of connectedness has a limiting period for itself, namely 1000 years, a period, of course, symbolic. A thousand years as an apocalyptic number means a certain completeness and completeness of a period or era. It cannot be understood chronologically (just as with the Lord “a thousand years are like a day.” Ps. LXXXIX, 5).

The millennium is the period not only of Satan’s imprisonment, but also of the simultaneous onset and duration of the earthly reign of Christ and those who “revived” with Christ in the first resurrection. In relation to Satan, it means liberation of the spiritual atmosphere from his oppressive, corrupting and tempting influence in the world. But this liberation of the world from Satan, 1) although temporary, is accompanied by another spiritual event, namely the first resurrection and the onset of the thousand-year reign of Christ, only after which the last amazing events in the life of this world take place. In the very idea of ​​the earthly kingdom of Christ on earth they see the secret influence of Judaism, and this, of course, cannot be denied. However, this “influence should be understood not in that

1) The presence of such a spiritual event as the liberation of the world from Satan, although temporary, must be understood in the general context of the problem theodicies. If we previously asked ourselves the question of why and how Satan was allowed into creation as a corrupting tempter: first into Eden to the first parents, and then into the world to fallen humanity, then here the same question arises in a different form, namely: if Satan is bound and weakened for 1000 years by the action of the power of God through an Angel who has the key to the abyss and a large chain, then such a possibility exists at all, and once again general religious bewilderment arises: why was such an action not manifested earlier, yes And at all

living sense, which is generally given to it in religious-historical research, i.e. as a kind of spiritual infection, an invasion of alien and extraneous elements, but as a continuing religious revelation, the beginning of which belongs to the Old Testament church, although here it is, of course, has not reached fullness and purity. The idea that the Kingdom of God will be revealed on earth in the life of the chosen people of Israel, and through them throughout the world, with different shades was characteristic of the great and small prophets, especially during the era of captivity, as well as the post-exilic period - among some: Jeremiah, Deuteronomy Isaiah, Malachi - in a more universalistic understanding, for others; Ezekiel, Haggai, Zechariah, Joel - more particularistic. Then this general thought passes into the apocryphal writing of the apocalypses and becomes the common property of Jewish self-consciousness around our era. It should be noted that the duration of this earthly Kingdom of God is not limited or determined by a period, but rather is depicted as having no end to itself in time. But apocalypticism here does not directly and clearly transform into eschatology, but merges with it rather. This is usually associated with the idea of ​​​​the majestic restoration of Jerusalem and its temple (the second half of the book of Ezekiel is entirely devoted to this: XI-XIVII). In any case, it seems very difficult and conjectural to determine how the duration of this period was understood in rabbinic writing: there are great differences here. Obviously, this was a premonition “like a mirror in fortune telling” of the revelation of the New Testament. (For more information, see the special excursion).

This vision of the spiritual world, which includes the deposition and chaining of Satan, is followed by another vision, this time from the realm of the afterlife. It is preceded, like the previous one, by the same “and saw” (and “and” here clearly means sequence and is equivalent to “after”). “And I saw thrones and those sitting on them, to whom judgment had been given, and the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, nor received the mark on their foreheads. They came to life" (4). From

in the world, if God has such power over Satan? Without claiming to reveal the inscrutable ways of God, we can still point out here that the temporary connection of Satan occurs only in connection with a number of previous and subsequent accomplishments. Thus, it is placed in the general historical context of world history, which proceeds on the basis synergistic interaction between God and the world. That's why it gets meaning here one of the providential funds on his ways. And at the same time, turning to the future, it also speaks of the final expulsion of the prince of this world and the de-Satanization of Satan himself.

This “souls of the beheaded” and “revived” makes it clear that this whole vision refers to the dead, and they are divided into two categories: on the one hand, those sitting on thrones, to whom it will be given to judge, and on the other, the souls of the beheaded. Both categories are connected to each other by a simple “and” (which gives another example of the entire apocalyptic ambiguity of this union. We would interpret in this case this “and” in the sense : in particular, in that number, including and under. The first category has a more general meaning and includes the second as part. “Those who sit on the throne” is obviously consonant with Dan. VII, 9 (“thrones were delivered”) and VII, 26 (“then the judges will sit”). In the New Testament this is paralleled by Matt. XIX, 18 (“you also will sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel”), as well as 1 Cor. VI, 2 lines. (“the saints will judge the world... by you the world will be judged... we will judge the angels”). However, of these New Testament texts, the first refers only to the apostles, while the second has a general eschatological meaning that goes far beyond the preliminary judgment, even earthly, which is discussed here in Revelation. Therefore we have to admit that Rev. XX, 4 contains features that were not the subject of New Testament revelation... They relate to the participation of deceased saints in the destinies of the history of the world, which in Revelation and in general it is revealed more widely than in other books of the New Testament. The idea of ​​judgment given to “those who sit on thrones,” in the general context, does not mean here the participation of “those who have come to life” in the final judgment, “κρίμα ἐδόθη “-“judgment was given” in this case refers not so much to the court as to the judgment or reasoning that is characteristic of people regarding people. This is the internal, immanent judgment of history, which takes place in the consciousness of the human race itself in the person of its holy chosen ones. It obviously also relates to their upcoming reign with Christ, and, consequently, to the completion of history and in it the entire human endeavor, to a preliminary summing up of its results. One can express it this way: this judgment is deliberative, but is not the verdict that nevertheless belongs to the Father, but is entrusted to the Son by Him, as is testified in John’s Gospel, by virtue of His humanity in God-manhood, Io . V, 27: “The Father gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man.

So of all these souls it is said that they “came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection" (4). This makes them stand out from all the “other” things.

humanity. It is absolutely clear that they have “come to life” -έ ζησαν - does not mean resurrection in the body, which is going to happen for everyone at the end of this age. They came to life souls- as incorporeal, being separated from the body, and this “first resurrection” does not return their corporeality to them. Souls are understood here in their relation to bodies as it is given in their mortal separation, which separates the body from the soul inspired by the spirit. This last connection between the carcass and the spirit is inextricable in death, which is why the spirit and soul are united here and are encompassed by the concept of “soul” as a single whole, although not simple, but complex, so to speak, dual. The body, as can be concluded from this text, remains dead and still inaccessible to the spirit. What then could be the change in souls, which is expressed in the fact that they “come to life”? “Soul” - and in the precise understanding of soul and spirit in their inseparability - is immortal, therefore it remains alive even in the afterlife. Both the Old and New Testaments sufficiently testify to this. However, this life of the soul outside the body is obviously flawed, and in addition, it can differ according to its afterlife destiny. Exactly at Revelation In this regard, there are very special, deliberate evidence of the afterlife, immortality, not as a state of fainting, but also ongoing in its meaningfulness of life, with participation even in the earthly destinies of humanity, as is clear from a number of relevant texts (see above). “Ozhili” must therefore be understood in the general context of the entire teaching Revelations about the afterlife. It is never, in any of its states, complete death, but at most only a swoon of life, from which souls awaken in varying degrees, according to the state of each. Therefore, the “first resurrection” means the greatest degree of life of the dead and their participation in the life of the living. This fullness is active, energetic, it is defined as participation in the earthly reign with Christ, and this obviously means their earthly service and action. How it is expressed and how it is accomplished is not revealed to us; this is the secret of the future, which generally does not lend itself to premature disclosure and remains inaccessible to us or does not need such disclosure. Of course, one general question remains here, which in similar cases arose before us above: will this event - the first resurrection of the saints - be known to those who are on earth? We obviously cannot give a confident answer to this question due to the lack of revelation data and corresponding human

sky experience. However, a number of leading thoughts incline us to a positive answer regarding that special, exceptional image “ communio sanctorum "; which is the “first resurrection.” If in the experience of the Church regarding the life of the saints we recognize the tangible closeness to us of the afterlife, all the more so is it manifested here in the spiritual transparency of the world, in which - let us not forget - the poisonous breath of Satan is absent, and at the same time the approach of Christ with His “revived” saints has taken place . This means a completely new era in the life of the Church, to the extent that death is partially overcome here. That is why it is called the “first resurrection.” Between the mortal life of this world and the future age of resurrection, a certain intermediate state finds a place for itself, in which earthly life is united - at least for the elect - with the afterlife, so that on the basis of this state a certain new life arises, now unknown to us. Judging by the fact that it occurs after the overthrow of Satan, this very possibility is connected with the beneficial consequences for the world that accompany it. The action of Satan in the world hitherto obviously prevented this connection and established the boundary between both worlds, the earthly and the afterlife. The intermediate state of the first resurrection obviously differs from the general one, therefore, second resurrection. The last expression does not appear directly in Revelation, but it is assumed through a parallel expression: “second death”, while the “First” resurrection is absent in other New Testament books. This expression is the exclusive property Revelations together with its other features. This, of course, should not detract from the prophetic power and authenticity of this insight, since it is contained in one of the last, concluding chapters of the last New Testament book, nor from all its significance. It cannot pass in silence and unnoticed or be lost in some kind of confused muttering, but must be accepted in all its strength and dogmatic content with inclusion in the general system of Christian doctrine.

It is noteworthy that in the Gospel of St. John the Theologian we also encounter a distinction between resurrection and revival. It is in Chapter V that we read in the Lord’s speech about the resurrection: “how the Father resurrects (more precisely, it should be said here: awakensὲγείρει) and revives (ζωοποιεῖ ), so the Son gives life to whomever he wants” (21) - therefore, we are not talking here about a general resurrection, but about revival.

Further, the same thought about these certain chosen ones continues like this: “Truly, truly, I say to you, the time is coming and has already come (ἔρχεται ὢρα καὶ νὺν ἐστιν ), when the dead hear the voice of the Son of God and, having heard, will live (ζήσουσιν ) (25). Here again we are not talking about resurrection in the full sense, but about revival, as in Revelation. The time has already come for him with the coming of Christ into the world. And further this same thought develops as follows: “the time is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear the voice of the Son of God and they who have done good will come out into the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil into the resurrection of judgment” (29). Isn’t it said here again about the “first resurrection” or the revival of the elect, and then, along with this, about the subsequent general resurrection, which, however, begins even now, before the general resurrection in bodies. (Apostle Paul teaches about the latter in more detail in 1 Cor. XV). All this gives a more complex idea of ​​the resurrection, first as a revival, and then as a bodily uprising. In this regard, a more complex idea is given about the court. Because if, by Revelation, the dead are judged as if before the general judgment on the resurrection at some kind of preliminary spiritual court, then in Io . V, 27 speaks of the judgment given by the Father to the Son; in this regard, I seem to speak only of the spiritual revival of all the dead, “who are in the graves,” who “will come forth” (ἐκπορεύσονται ) in the resurrection of life and condemnation. One can ask oneself whether this latter is identical with the resurrection and the general judgment (Matthew XXV), or whether it is, in relation to that, still beyond the grave, preliminary, just like the judgment. One can therefore also ask whether the picture of the judgment of Matt. XXV is also some kind of schematic and reverse generalization in general of that division and distinction that occurs both in the afterlife and after the resurrection, if only we understand it in the entire complex context of revelations about the resurrection and judgment. Apparently, it is the latter that corresponds to the essence of the matter. To this we must add another testimony of the same John the Theologian in his Gospel, again in the same speech of the Lord about the resurrection. The Lord says here: “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has eternal life.” and doesn’t come to court , but passed from death to life" (Io . V, 24). It is directly stated here that the judgment is not universal and for everyone, because there are those who are completely exempt from it, for whom it begins directly (“passed over” μεταβέβηκεν ) eternal life, i.e. new life beyond the grave. And this also confirms the general idea that the depiction

the story of the judgment in Matt. XXV should not be considered exhaustive. It is supply expression of the truth that humanity in general is πάντα τὰ ἔθνη - all peoples, even without differences in faith, will be tested by the judgment of their conscience, immanent, regarding the “second” commandment of love for one’s neighbor, and will overcome their sins against this commandment, which is why the Judge here is called the “Son of Man.” And “eternity” - equally for eternal life and for “eternal torment” - refers to the spiritual state of those who have seen themselves in Christ, those who are worthy and those who are unworthy. In general, Matt. XXV about the Last Judgment should be included in the general context of all related prophetic texts, and not singled out as basic and exhaustive, and therefore subject to, so to speak, literal understanding. The latter, however, due to the allegorism of speech, is impossible. In connection with this, the doctrine of the “first” resurrection, which, obviously, must be followed by the “second” in bodies, must also be understood. It first of all requires dogmatic understanding without an evasive desire to pass by it, making the excuse that “this must be understood spiritually,” as if the spirituality of interpretation necessarily means the actual annulment of the text. The "First Resurrection" naturally remains secret earlier than its onset, but this secret has to be revealed in due time as a certain new reality and a new revelation, which otherwise would not have been given in prophecy. Moreover, this first the resurrection should be understood not as some accident, a detail that might not have happened, but as a necessary step on the path to the universal, second resurrection. The latter, according to the meaning of the prophecy, could not have happened without passing the first, although this connection between them now remains hidden for us, however, like everything in general related to the resurrection and life of the future century, including here the century to come, the “millennial” . This is the first, and in this sense, preceding the resurrection according to the text Revelations is inextricably linked with the participation of those “who have come to life” in reigning with Christ for a thousand years. Just as the general resurrection is preceded by the first resurrection, so the advent of the Kingdom of Christ in the world is preceded by the thousand-year reign of the saints on earth. And this latter, insofar as it is connected with the first resurrection, thereby also acquires a certain intermediate, afterlife-earthly character. So it is with the ap. Paul (1 Cor. XV, 24-28) the reign of Christ in the world takes place in a certain sequence and, so to speak, gradually, even with a hint that can be associated with the doctrine of the first resurrection: “as in Adam all die,

so in Christ all will come to life, each in his own order: first Christ, then those of Christ at His coming, and then the end, when He hands over the Kingdom to God the Father, when He abolishes all rule and all authority and power, for He must reign, until He puts all enemies under His feet.” All Revelation dedicated to the depiction of this accession of Christ in the world, for which, however, the last, final act will be the thousand-year kingdom of the saints with Christ, their blessed destiny. They are blessed in a special (sixth) makarism Revelations: “Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection: the second death has no power over him, but they will be priests of God and Christ and will reign with Him a thousand years” (6). Participation in the first resurrection is expressed primarily in the fact that the “second death” has no power over them. This introduces a new dogmatic concept, also characteristic only Revelation: this is the second death . We will dwell on it in full below (14); in this context, when applied to saints, it obviously means here a special, profound power of immortal life, which will manifest itself in them before the bodily resurrection, and it protects them from the deadening breath of death . Further it is said of them that they “will be priests of God and Christ”, ἱερεὶς τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ . This And(God and Christ) in this case can be equally understood both in the sense of identification: God-Christ, and in the sense of distinction: God the Father and Christ cf. I, 6: “To Christ, who has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen"). In the first sense, Christ is defined as the Son of God, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, the Divine Hypostasis, God; in the second sense, as the God-man, the Son of God, who descended from heaven, became incarnate and became human, a single Hypostasis in the union of two natures, Divine and human. The “priesthood” of the saints should obviously be understood here not hierarchically, in the sense of sacred dignity, but in that general sense of anointing with the Holy Spirit, which is characteristic of all Christianity, as spoken of by Joel in his words applied by the apostle. Peter in his speech at Pentecost (Acts II, 17 - Joel II, 28-30). If we look for a sacramental expression of this thought, then it can be associated with the dual unity of baptism and confirmation, which in a certain sense is the sacrament of the universal royal priesthood. The latter is expressively evidenced by the apostle. Peter, addressing all believers, without distinction of gender or even age: “you are a generation of God, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a special people” (1 Pet. II, 9). There's no-

what reason to think that Revelation the naming of priests of God and Christ would refer only to the hierarchical priesthood, and so that the number of participants in the first resurrection would be limited to them alone. There are no guidelines for this. On the contrary, it undoubtedly includes everyone worthy of it. The only feature especially highlighted here is martyrdom, confession (“of those beheaded for the testimony of Christ” and further v. 4), and this is not directly related to the hierarchical priesthood. Therefore, all those who are sanctified in Christ and awarded from Him, so to speak, reciprocal sanctification, as if spiritual ordination, are called priests here. The royal priesthood is given here everyone participants of the first resurrection. This universal priesthood does not deny or even belittle the hierarchical priesthood in its own meaning, but it, being as if independent from the latter, limits it to that extent, placing alongside it another, universal priesthood, which has power in the Kingdom of God in the life of the next century. Here it refers only to the participants in the first resurrection in the thousand-year Kingdom of Christ, but in the general resurrection it extends to the ages of ages. The apostolic revelation is applicable here: “He must reign until he has put all enemies under his feet... when he has put all things under him, then the Son himself will be subject to him who put all things under him, so that God may be all in all” (1 Cor. XV, 25- 28). This universal “subjugation” through sanctification will be the royal power of the universal priesthood, through which God will be “all in all.” In this universal priesthood, it is as if the hierarchical priesthood is dissolved, which has its power for the earthly ways of building the Church, but in the coming Kingdom of God it will become like the Old Testament priesthood, since it was abolished in the New Testament. This will be the fulfillment of the prophecy of Joel, in the words of the apostle. Peter expressed the power of Pentecost, which had to be revealed throughout the entire earthly history of the New Testament Church. However, it will end only in the Kingdom of Christ, starting with the first resurrection, in the general resurrection, and after it forever and ever.

So, the participants in the first resurrection are promised to be priests of God and Christ. But this priesthood - not hierarchical, but universal - is inseparably associated with universal prophecy (which is spoken of by the prophet Joel and in the speech of the Apostle Peter: “And your sons and your daughters will prophesy, and your elders will dream dreams. And on My servants and on My handmaids I will pour out My Spirit, and they will

prophesy"). The sons of the Kingdom of God, together with the gifts of prophetic and priestly service and inseparably with them, will take part in the royal ministry of Christ, on the paths of His accession: “they will reign with Him for a thousand years” and should be understood in this sense. The content of the XX chapter still refers to the state of the world when Christ, although he reigns in it, is not yet completely, as evidenced by the new liberation of Satan along with the rebellion of the peoples - Gog and Magog - against Christ (7-8). Thus, the expression: “they will reign” (6) does not mean “they will already become kings,” but they will still reign with Him. They are credited with some active participation in this reign with Christ. What this reign may consist of and how it will be expressed is also the mystery of the future. We cannot help but note, however, that this accession will not be accompanied by war, which has temporarily - precisely for a thousand years - already passed, and Satan - also temporarily - has been weakened. (Here comes to mind the prophecy of Isaiah and others about the triumph of peace on earth). Consequently, enthronement with Christ presupposes not only efforts to combat evil, but also the triumph of good. It's there positive the construction of the Kingdom of Christ on earth, which prepares the reign of Christ at His Second Coming. Thus, here is contained a highly important dogmatic thought about the divine-human synergy in application to the final destinies of the world and the accession of Christ, according to the manifestation of two wills and energies, divine and human. This enthronement is not only a Divine matter, but also a human one, and not only through the union of two natures and two wills in the God-man himself, but also in the own existence of human nature. The entire earthly history of mankind, as it is symbolized in Revelation, there is such a thing synergistic preparation of the Kingdom of Christ and His new coming into the world. His thousand-year Kingdom is one of the final links in this preparation, if not yet the last, then already its penultimate page. Moreover, what is said here about the accession of the participants in the first resurrection in the reign of Christ, and specifically about them, cannot, of course, mean non-participation the living, whom the thousand-year kingdom finds while still on earth. But here it is spoken directly and positively about new the participation of the saints who are still in the afterlife, together, of course, with the entire earthly Church in this construction of the Kingdom of Christ. In any case, here is evidence of the advent of a new, unprecedented era in the life of the world, which

the second one is on the tongue Revelations and is called the thousand-year kingdom of Christ. This now brings us close to the main and general question: how should we relate to this teaching about the thousand-year kingdom of saints and the first resurrection? The attitude of the historical Church to this prophecy is highly significant: in general it can be expressed in such a way that it did not establish no a definite and definitive dogmatic and exegetical attitude. The history of dogma knows individual private opinions, which differ to the point of complete contradiction, but there has not been and still is not a church definition. This question was never the subject of dogmatic discussion in a conciliar manner, as if it were insignificant and undeserving. This indifference and failure to notice, of course, cannot be accidental, especially taking into account that the doctrine of the thousand-year Kingdom of Christ is a bright and dazzling star on the dogmatic horizon, a stunning revelation in Revelation Apostle John. Meanwhile, the impression still remains that church teachers not only do not notice it, but also seem to not want to notice it, they close their eyes, as if they are... afraid of him. But since the Church is infallible, although church people can err by erroneousness and limited judgment, then we must understand this silence of hers in the same way as some positive answer. We interpret it in such a sense that this prophecy contains a certain secret that has not yet been revealed, for the time and timing for this have not come, just as the Old Testament prophecies about Christ were kept in the Church for centuries in all incomprehensibility for their contemporaries, and perhaps even - in all its power - for the prophets themselves, in order to shine to the world in their New Testament fulfillment. Also in the New Testament there are separate prophecies relating to the future destinies of the church, which do not yet sound to us with all their power, remain incomprehensible and unheard. This includes mainly prophecies relating to the future destinies of the world and the church. In this sense, the whole book Revelations to a certain extent, it still remains sealed for the future. This is expressed in the fact that it (as noted above) does not have proper and appropriate liturgical use and seems to be kept silent in the church. And if individual sayings and images of the Apocalypse still seep into the liturgical language, then, of course, we would look in vain here for anything relating to the first resurrection and the thousand-year reign. You might think that here

that indifferent and distrustful attitude towards Revelation as a book that, being in itself and not needed for Christian teaching, ended up in the canon by historical accident, as a legacy of Judaism with its apocalypticism. At one time she destroyed Judea along with the holy city by supporting her utopian dreams and destructive revolutionary spirit. Now it’s as if we have nothing to do with her. However, since such a kind of neutrality of silence is impossible in relation to the sacred book, moreover, imprinted with the name of the Evangelist Theologian, then, as a positive answer to natural questions about it, interpretations are given, sometimes strange and clearly unsatisfactory, although some of them are imprinted with the names of authoritative interpreters, however, contradictory to each other. All this can also be explained by the fact that historical maturity has not yet arrived, in the light of which the images and prophecies of this only New Testament prophetic book receive all their meaning. The Apocalypse in this sense is a book of prophecies not only about the future and not only about what was, but also “what it will happen after this "(I, 19), but also For of the future. The latter had not yet occurred in the days of his writing. After all, no matter how grandiose the images and events that were directly contemplated by the seer himself, and even more so by his contemporaries, may seem, they were understood and measured by the scale of their time. For us, these measurements have now become insufficient in the face of all subsequent history, as well as our modernity. Moreover, all her achievements have not only not ended yet, but have not even reached their zenith. Without comparing our era with the early Christian era, for all its uniqueness in its own way, we cannot help but say that historically we have now become more mature than it, and much has already changed. In particular, for us the Roman Empire has lost its exclusivity, together with the “eternal city”, which has descended to the position of one of the European provincial centers, and its image has only a typological and symbolic meaning. Continuing history is an unfolding historical-dogmatic commentary on the Apocalypse, which one must be able to comprehend, and it is far from clear whether the time for this has already come. In a state of exegetical and even more dogmatic confusion, it is natural to flee into the imaginary “spirituality” of understanding, which actually abolishes the very power of prophecy.

Although there has never been a consensus understanding of the thousand-year kingdom of Christ, however, in the first two or three centuries of our

era can be considered the predominant understanding of a specific historical one, relating it to a specific event or era. Apart from Cerinthos, we find such an understanding among church writers in St. Justin Martyr, at St. Irenaeus, St. Hippolyta, Tertullian, bishop. Methodius of Olympus, Victorinus, Commodianus, Lactantius and others. They usually see in this the influence of Judaism, and, indeed, it is difficult to deny it, taking into account the wide and dominant dissemination of its chiliastic ideas, together, of course, with the corresponding cycle of related prophecies of Isaiah and Ezekiel etc. A distinctive feature of this understanding of chiliasm is its earthly and sensual nature. This, undoubtedly, is the teaching, first of all, of such authoritative and blessed holy writers as St. Justin and St. Irenaeus, who undoubtedly were chiliasts in this sense. Now their ideas seem to a certain extent childish and naive and, in any case, even in need of a certain spiritualization. They have only indicative significance as evidence of the extent to which it was possible to deviate in interpretation in this direction without incurring church condemnation, although now, of course, such an understanding would be impossible and unacceptable. However, in a fundamental and methodological sense, it retains its significance even now and should be fully taken into account in the fullness of the church tradition that relates here. It cannot simply be discarded and forgotten, so to speak, as unusable. But at the same time, Clement of Alexandria, like Clement of Rome, Ermus, and St., do not know chiliasm. Cyprian, Origen, whose general spiritualistic direction of thought he, of course, least of all corresponds to, Dionysius of Alexandria and St. Ephraim the Syrian. In the 4th century in the west, supporters of chiliasm were Victorinus, as was Sulpicius Severus; attitude of St. Ambrose of Milan remains unclear. But his decisive opponents are Bl. Jerome and Bl. Augustine, according to the general spirit of his theology, as did Tichonius. The latter opinion triumphed both in the West and in the East. In the first case, this is due to the clerical-papist nature of Western Christianity, for which it was easy to accept the general idea of ​​bl. Augustine that the millennial kingdom is the Catholic Church. This conscious or semi-conscious connection of Augustinianism with the Vatican dogma in Catholic theology extends to the attitude towards the question of the first resurrection and the millennial kingdom, which is to have a pope in the Vatican. A similar tendency in Eastern theology is related to

zana with a general predominance of ascetic-spiritualistic features, and this was also supplemented by the Constantinian ideology about the connection between church and state. The latter also silently tended to find the thousand-year kingdom, if not in the Vatican, then in Constantinople, and later in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Of course, at the present time it is absent “for lack of an address” (however, the mystical concept of the “White Tsar”, characteristic of Russian Orthodoxy, 1) like some of the early ideas of Vl. Solovyov, are distinguished by a different, already chiliastic character). Protestant theology turned out to be free from those preconditions that prevented the understanding of the prophecy of the millennium in its essence, but it lacks sufficient general ecclesiological foundations. Therefore, it does not oppose private opinions in its favor and does not force the sacred text to be violated for the sake of prejudice. Therefore, here we meet the theological opinions of individual exegetes who generally accept the prophecy of the millennial kingdom, although they are powerless to implement it in the general dogmatic context (these are Charles, Zahn and etc.). This is the position of this question at the present time, when history, one might say, persistently asks about the meaning of the doctrine of the thousand-year kingdom: the question still remains unheard and unanswered. Obviously, not only events that have not yet occurred must occur, but also dogmatic shifts in both Eastern and Western theology that will free him to a creative and daring perception of prophecy. For to do this, you need to have not only the letter of it in front of you, but also the prophetic spirit within you, which actually remains under some spiritual prohibition or suspicion. Until now, the attitude towards the Apocalypse is precisely characterized by the predominance of attention to the letter in the absence of a life-giving spirit. External exegetical study of it, as of the entire sacred text in general, reaches absolutely exceptional perfection. The science about him stands at an unprecedented height, but the spirit still remains unawakened. Will he now awaken to the very apocalypse of life?

The dominant thought of theological exegesis now boils down to the fact that the prophecy about the first resurrection and the thousand-year reign of Christ on earth Not refers to new an event and revelation of the Church in earthly history, which has its own times and timing. It is simply an allegory about the effectiveness of the Church on earth from the beginning and at all times. This interpretation is actually just deletions -

1) Wed. my dialogue “At Night”, 1919 (manuscript).

Chapter XX begins Revelations, taken in all its own context. 1) It can be said that defensive theology, itself being alien to prophecy, actually wages here a direct struggle against prophecy by violence against the sacred text, but even more against its main meaning, which, obviously, is that there are not one, but two resurrections: the first and second, as well as the coming of Christ into the world, also not one, but at least two - to the thousand-year reign on earth and to the general resurrection and transfiguration of the world in Parousia (and therefore the descent of heavenly Jerusalem is also not one, but two , as we will see below). Of course, this teaching represents something that is missing from other books of New Testament revelation or is only present in hints. These prophecies of “what must soon be” (I, 1) or “what will happen after this” (I, 19) are so different from the traditional concept accepted in theology that it requires revision in order to accommodate this new prophecy, or one remains to hide from it, not notice it, or reinterpret it. This is exactly what is done in traditional theological doctrine, which knows only a direct and continuous path from the Ascension of Christ to the Antichrist, after which the catastrophic end of the world and the second coming of the Lord occurs. The Apocalypse, between both, places a special coming of the Lord into the world (and even more than one), preparing the Parousia. The entire content of the Apocalypse boils down, in essence, to the disclosure of this preparation

1) Allo (op. cit.) cites as evidence spiritual character of the millennium the following considerations: it Not spreads on everyone people, since beyond it remains the possibility of a new uprising of Gog and Magog. Outside of it there is evil and struggle, so XX, 8-10 is only a recapitulation of the previous one, relating to the general revolt of the kings against the Church. Therefore, according to the conclusion, the kingdom of saints begins already from the apostolic age. This argument would be convincing if the sacred text asserted that the thousand-year reign of the saints is already the final and universal victory of good in the world, which in fact it is not at all. It is the pinnacle of history as the highest manifestation of good that can be achieved on earth, and is a preliminary, as well as a precondition, for the general resurrection. The general conclusion of Allo (I. p. 297) is this: “Quoique le s hiliasme n"ait pas été d"hérésie, le sentiment commun des théologiens de tout école at volt une doctrine "erronée" ou "certaines conditions des âges primitifs ont pu entralner quelques anciens Pèresj". To remain consistent, the accusation of spreading “erroneous teachings” must already be attributed to the sacred writer himself, before which , Of course, Catholic dogma stops. Allo's own conclusion about the millennium, typical of modern Catholic theology, is this : La prophetie du Millenlum, qui fait parfaitement corp avec les autres prophetles du livre, est simpliment la figure, de la domination spirituelle de l"Eglise militante, unie à "l"Eglise

leniya, is an image of the path to it. There are two revelations in the Word of God about the end of history and the world: the first is immanent-historical as internal maturation, and the second is transcendental-catastrophic, associated with Parousia, with that new action of God in the world, about which it is said: “I am making all things new.” (XXI, 5). There are common features between this and the other revelation about the end of history and about Parousia; it is to it that the tragic path of the ripening of wheat and tares, the struggle of the prince of this world with Christ leads; one is a precondition for the other. In the general historical and eschatological perspective, both paths merge together and do not seem to differ from each other. It is from this very perspective that both of them are depicted in the “small apocalypse” by the weather forecasters, in particular Matt. XXIV-XXV. What is stated in the XXIV chapter of Matthew, although it differs in detail and style from the corresponding content Revelations VI-XIX, however, largely coincides in essence, as well as with the corresponding chapters of the apostolic epistles: 1 and 2 Thess., 1 Peter. etc. However, here the transcendental-catastrophic nature of the Second Coming is affirmed precisely in its suddenness and unexpectedness (Matt. XXIV, 42-44; Mark, XIII, 32-3), like the coming of the bridegroom in the night. In Matt. XXIV obviously and as if deliberately two plans merge and mix: historical and eschatological, the destruction of Jerusalem and a brief, in its own way apocalyptic scheme of world history with the end of the world in a single, but infinitely polysemantic mystical transcendental “then” (XXV, 30). This deliberate confusion of plans, of course, has its basis in unity the world and historical process, which has a common tendency towards its outcome, towards overcoming and end. In general, there is such a relationship between the philosophy of history and eschatology that the latter contains, dissolves and absorbs the former, and yet history is by no means abolished by eschatology in its reality, is not erased from existence, but retains all its power as a precondition for the end, which necessarily precedes Parousia. Therefore, the small Gospel and the New Testament apocalypse in general must be understood in connection and unity with the Apocalypse of John. The former makes room for the latter, it contains it. However, for this it is necessary to understand one in connection with the other in one general context, without forcefully replacing one with the other. How Old Testament prophecies are to be understood

triomphante, dépuis la glorification de Jesus juaqu "à, la fin di monde". For the opposite understanding of the millennial kingdom, see Charles, II, 185 pp. Wed. Also Zahn, op. cit. II.

connections and in a general context with the New Testament, as well as Revelation John’s statement about what should happen “after this” is, as it were, an addition or afterword, the newest testament in the New Testament, as this corresponds to its final place in the Bible. Therefore, both for general theological and exegetical reasons, we consider the prevailing allegorical interpretation of the prophecy about the thousand-year kingdom and the first resurrection to be an impermissible violation of the sacred text and, to that extent, an extinguishing of the prophecy, which stems from prejudice or from spiritual timidity and inertia. Consequently, we must seek a direct understanding of it that would not weaken it. The first part of the XXth chapter, 1-6, which relates directly to the constraint of Satan and the millennial kingdom, must first of all be included in the general context of the last, final chapters of the Apocalypse, with which it forms one whole, connected by the unity of plan and content. It is at the beginning of the XXth chapter that the advent of a new era in the life of the Church and all mankind is very briefly spoken of, only its title is given, but more detailed content is set out in the last chapters, XXI and partly XXII Revelations. However, the immediate continuation of the text here seems to violate the general consistency in the disclosure of this topic. First it talks about the millennium, then about the end of the world and judgment, and then the first topic returns again. This inconsistency and, as it were, disorder of different images crowding and piling up on each other presents, of course, a considerable difficulty for exegesis. However, here we must submit to this inconsistency of the text itself.

So, the millennial kingdom is a certain era in the history of the Church, which has a beginning and an end for itself, 1) and this is in connection with an event in the spiritual world, namely the connection of Satan. One can also ask oneself whether there is anything in other prophetic foreshadowings of the Old and New Testaments that can and should be brought into connection with its connection with Satan and the advent of the millennial kingdom. In our opinion, only one definite answer can be given to this: here we have to remember the prophecy of St. Paul Rome. IX-XI about the salvation of all Israel and its conversion to Christ. On the one hand, it is completely unacceptable that in the face of thousands

1) It is interesting to understand how those exegetes who equate the millennium with the entire existence of the New Testament Church from the time of the apostles can get out of the difficulty. Does this mean to them that it ends or is interrupted, which is obviously unacceptable. We do not find an answer to this question in the Allo comment.

During the years of the kingdom of the saints, the stubborn unbelief of Israel still remained, powerless before the accomplishment of this most important and final work in history. At the same time, it cannot be denied that it is the converted Israel that will infuse a new force of life into Christianity, which is necessary for the completeness of its work and history. This conversion itself is already an eschatological fact, marking the approach of history to its end, and therefore it remains to bring it closer in time to the onset of the millennium or even identify it with it. IN Revelation we have no indication of this, but it is natural to attribute the final onset of this event precisely to this time of Satan’s binding, although it could have begun in history earlier.

The millennium has for itself not only a beginning in history, but also an end, as it is directly said about this: “when will a thousand years will end , Satan will be released from his prison” (XX, 7). What exactly this liberation of Satan from his prison means here is not said here; it remains a mystery of God’s vision. But, obviously, the world must drink to the end the bitter cup of satanic temptations and go through all the hardships of fighting them to the end. God allowed the fullness of temptations for the righteous Job, just as He did not reject them even to death on the cross for His beloved Son. And if in general the serpent was allowed into paradise and was not prevented from the deception of the forefathers, with which the entire sorrowful history of fallen man began, then here, at the end of history, he must be tempted for the last time by the final temptation. Here it is directly stated about this action of Satan: “he will come out to deceive the nations located at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, and gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea" (7). Who are these Gog and Magog? This is one of the biblical 1) expressions (like Armageddon) in the Apocalypse to designate a spontaneous multitude of peoples inspired by satanic warfare against God. Exegetes also seek historical commentary in the images of peoples who have appeared in history. This is the symbolic name of militant universal atheism - “the nations located at the four corners of the earth,” their last and general uprising, prophesied by the psalmist: “the princes of mankind gathered together against the Lord and against His Christ” (Ps. II, 2). Vastness

1) The name Magog appears for the first time in Gen. X, 2 among the sons of Japheth (cf. 1 Chron. I, 5). In Ezek . XXXVIII, 2 we read: “Gog from the land of Magog”; in XXXIX, 6 Magog apparently means the name of the people: “and I will send fire on the land of Magog and on the inhabitants of the islands.” Wed. XXXIII, 18: “And it will come to pass on the day that Gog comes to the land of Israel, says the Lord, that My anger will be kindled and My wrath will burn.” Wed. in an excursion about Old Testament chiliasm.

This uprising is evidenced in the words: “their number is like the sand of the sea” (7). Does this leave room for the “holy remnant” of believers who remained on earth in this last and terrible hour of history? Or will the whole earth be enveloped in unbelief and atheism, as some exegetes think? ( Charles II). There is no direct indication of this. However, if we compare this text with Matt. XXIV, 22, which speaks of the elect, for whose sake “those days will be shortened,” then it must be assumed that the Church, although uniting only a small part of humanity at the end of the world, will still have a faithful, albeit small, flock on earth. Although quantitatively small, it will be spiritually great and powerful enough to arouse the hatred of the ruling majority and the desire to destroy it. This is symbolically expressed in the following verse (8): “and they went out into the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city.” The “breadth of the earth” is the universe from which peoples gather, from the four corners of the earth. This is a kind of spiritual, cultural and social multi-unity, separated by hatred of the Church, a universal anti-Church. However, there still remains that “camp of saints” that they surround. “The beloved city” here naturally means Jerusalem as the spiritual capital of the millennial kingdom.

What does this last spiritual event in history mean - namely, “the encirclement of the camp of saints and the beloved city,” which, however, will not cease to remain the center of the world? This is an image that, in its greatest brevity, cannot be revealed in any concrete way, and we only have to submit here to this divine default. Does it mean that this event itself still remains in such a historical distance, which naturally prevents its vision, except in the most general silhouette, as if the shadow of future events? Of course, the same can be said to a certain extent regarding other apocalyptic symbols, which in their mystery cannot be translated into the language of specific history (which is what exegetes so persistently strive for). However: it should be noted that the images Revelations In general, they become more schematic and abstract as they approach the end. In particular, this must be said about the entire XXth chapter, which is an epilogue to history (it is followed by eschatology). Does this sketchy imagery mean that the last times of the world should remain so hidden? It should be remembered that the small Gospel Apocalypse is distinguished by similar features, although not at all differently: it is there (Matthew XXIV-XXV with parallels) that we have, as it were, a deliberate confusion

features related to the near, middle, distant and the very last - from the destruction of Jerusalem through the tragic paths of history to the end of the world and the Second Coming. To the extent that here it is possible to observe different manifestations of the same law of the apocalyptic and eschatological perspective.

In any case, here it remains to humbly limit ourselves to establishing only the general meaning of the image. In Art. The 8th denotes the new and final triumph of evil and atheism, which appears in the conscious struggle and resistance of the Church, in an effort to completely eradicate it, to expel Christianity from the world and make it the finally godless kingdom of the prince of this world, who is heading towards his final accession. But through this comes the last and greatest world crisis, followed by the final catastrophe. If the concept of synergism can be applied here, then we have to say that the end of the world comes synergistically, not only through the direct action of the will of God over the world: “behold, I create all things new” (XXI, 5), but also the internal death of the world and its decomposition, with reaching the final maturity of the fruit falling from the tree of life. Parallel to this, if not in the literal text, then in the general sense, is the coming of Christ in the Little Apocalypse, Matt. XXIV-XXV.

So, the last revolt of the nations against the Church will be expressed in the encirclement of the camp of the saints and the beloved city, i.e. Jerusalem as the center of the thousand-year kingdom. Image of Jerusalem in Revelation refers to different times and different states. In XI, 8 he is “a great city, which is spiritually called Sodom and Egypt, where our Lord was crucified”; the corpses of two witnesses killed by the beast will be left on its streets. Now he is “the beloved city” (Ps. LXXVII, 68, XXCVIII, 2; Hos. II, 23), the image of the universal Church. The encirclement of Jerusalem here marks some kind of decisive and final action of those deceived by Satan against her. No longer through the beast and the false prophet, but Satan himself leads all humanity in open battle, except for the “elect” (Matthew XXIV, 22). And heaven itself answers this call: “and fire fell from heaven from God and devoured them” (9). We also find this image applied to Gog and Magog in Ezek. . XXXVIII, 22, see the entire chapter XXXIX. Of course, here these images are complicated by Old Testament geography and history, but they are preceded in ch. XXXVII reign of God on earth: XXXVII, 23-28. How should we understand this image, which, with its brevity, achieves the greatest strength and expressiveness? Of course, it cannot be understood literally; it sounds mythological. Just as the uprising of peoples is primarily a spiritual movement,

and not political (even if we assume that it is expressed in some military-political actions, which is not impossible), so the response fire that fell from heaven from God and “devoured” them does not belong to the phenomena of the natural world , even if it is reflected in them, it rather means an event of a spiritual nature. This fire that fell from the sky can be understood primarily not physically, but metaphysically: it means an eschatological transcendence that separates this world from the new world (“I am making all things new”), marks an ontological threshold, which in various New Testament texts is symbolized as fire or passage through it: 2 Peter. III. 7 (“are reserved for fire for the day of judgment”), “the elements, having burned, will be destroyed, and the earth and (all) the works on it will be burned up” (16) “fire will test the work” (1 Cor. III, 13), “in the fire taking vengeance" (2 Thess. I, 8), "the coming of the day of God, in which the burning heavens will be destroyed and the burning elements will melt" (2 Pet. III, 12), Matt. XIII, 40-42 image of tares being burned in fire, temptations and iniquities being thrown into the “furnace of fire”). Being devoured by fire does not mean killing in the sense of earthly death, but passing through the fire to the future age of resurrection and the judgment of God with the cessation of the life of this age. One cannot draw the conclusion from this that by the end of the century the earth will be empty and depopulated (as does Charles 1. p. II, 189). On the contrary, the end of the world and the Second Coming, although it is anticipated and accomplished in its suddenness through the resurrection of the dead and the “change” of the living, their presence thereby presupposes: “we will not all die, but we will all be changed, in the twinkling of an eye at the last trumpet” ( 1 Cor. XV, 51-52). Wed. 1 Thess. IV, 15-17 “we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will not warn those who have died... the dead in Christ will rise first... then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord.”

At all Revelation should be taken in the general New Testament context, and in particular, its eschatological texts as not abolishing it, but either complementing it, or expressing it in a different way. Therefore, the XX, 9th century. should be understood as a special expression of the general eschatological catastrophe, which is described differently, in a different, so to speak, perspective, in other prophecies. Fire here at the same time it means both transfiguration in the general resurrection and condemnation, the burning of the worthy, i.e. the judgment, which in Chapter XXV. Matt. depicted in other images.

he who deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever” (10). Here, what attracts attention first of all is the comparison of the devil with the beast and the false prophet, which to a certain extent provides the key to understanding this text. The beast, like the false prophet, are not individuals in themselves, but express the general spiritual principles of life, which define not only individuals, but also entire societies. Eternity in any sense cannot be attributed to them. On the contrary, burning and combustion await them, that is, complete destruction. This destruction relates primarily to these very spiritual principles of atheism and fight against God, which will be exposed in their falsity and emptiness by a new theophany, which will itself eliminate them. They are burned out of the souls of their carriers, individual personalities, who, thereby, if they are saved, are saved, as it were, from fire (1 Cor. III, 15). But what should be said about the devil himself, “who deceived them” (10)? Of course, his inspiration and deeds are also subject to destruction; they will burn in the “lake of fire and brimstone.” But precisely the fact that the devil, together with the beast and the false prophet and, so to speak, as if on equal terms with them, is thrown into the lake of fire, testifies to the fact that this does not have final eschatological significance. In other words, this does not speak about the final fate of the devil himself and does not contain either rejection or denial of apokatastasis 1) and refers not so much to the final fate of Satan as to Satanism. Otherwise, Satan and

1) Wed. Zahn, I. With. II, 607-8. This expression is especially common in Revelation, on the one hand, in application to the heavenly, divine world (I, 6, 18, IV, 9, 10; V, 13; VII, 12; X, 6; XI, 15; XV, 7; XXII, 5; cf . Gal. I, 5; Phil. IV, 20; Heb. XIII, 31: 1 Pet. IV, 11; V, 11; 1 Tim. I, 17; 2 Tim. IV, 18; without “centuries”: Rome I, 25; IX, 5; XI, 21). On the other hand, it is also applied in relation to the evil principle: XIV, II: the smoke of torment of those who worship the beast; XIX; 3 (about the smoke from Babylon), XX, 10. In relation to God and Christ, “forever and ever,” of course, is synonymous with eternity in the sense of supertemporality and immutability. The second use of “forever and ever,” of course, is not at all equivalent to the first, because, firstly, there is no evil, satanic, created eternity at all, which would be similar to the beginninglessness and infinity characteristic of divine eternity; secondly, something that can not only burn, but also burn out, therefore, in time, is given over to fire, and “eternity of ages” is only a figurative expression of duration, as well as the known internal cyclical finitude of a given state. This can be compared with expressions such as 1 Sam. I, 22, that Samuel “will appear before the Lord, and remain before Him forever", (i.e., until his death) or in Isa. LVIII, 12; LXI, 4, (“the deserts will be built up centuries-old"as applied to the 70 years of Babylonian exile): Ps. LXXI, 17 “thy name will be (king) forever" Whoever opens the Hebrew lexicon will be convinced that the words εἱς τοὺς αἰώνας τῶν αἰώνων do not at all correspond to the idea of ​​timeless eternity” (Zahn, ib. 608).

would not have been equated with the beast and the false prophet in place, " Where ὄ π ουκά ι" they are together. And in general this relates to the outcome stories, on the verge of the next century, so to speak, the elimination of the evil principle, but not to the final fate and judgment. True, it is also said here: “and they will be tormented forever and ever,” which Catholic exegesis takes, of course, in the sense of the infinity of torment. However, one should in every possible way resist such an exegesis “forever and ever,” which, in any case, is not the only possible one. 1)

So, “torment day and night forever and ever” means committing to the final abolition and destruction of the false and evil principle of life towards the end of world history, on the verge of its end and the beginning of a new age, the kingdom of Christ. You can ask yourself: throughout Revelations This defeat of evil forces has been spoken about more than once, although not in the same general context. So, this includes XIV, 2, 5, 20, even XI, 19; XIX, 11-21. How to understand this repetition of the same theme and thought? Does it mean the multiplicity of the event, or is all this a “recapitulation” of the same achievement? It is difficult to answer this question with complete confidence: a positive answer is supported by similarities that allow, in any case, to see the maturation of one general result throughout history, but the different place occupied by these repetitions in the context speaks against it.

From the 11th verse of the XXth chapter a new topic begins - about judgment. “And I saw a great white throne and Him sitting on it, from whose presence heaven and earth fled away, and no place was found for them.” This image of the Seated One is directly repeated in Dan. (VII, 9-10). The picture of judgment is depicted here differently than in Gospel eschatology: in Matt. XXV, 31-45 (with parallels). This difference is quite understandable in relation to the non-representable and expressed only in symbolic images. Their dogmatic content should be revealed. And first of all, who is the One sitting on the throne: the Father (according to the symbolism of Daniel) or the Son who carries out judgment according to Matt. XXV. Essentially, both interpretations are equally valid. According to the fourth Gospel (V, 25), “The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son” (cf. Matthew VII, 22, XVI, 27: “The Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels and then will reward each according to his works"; Acts XVII, 31; 2 Cor. V, 10). However, on the other hand, cf. Matt. VI, 4, 6, 14, 18; XVIII, which speaks of reward from the Father. Ap. Paul attributes the judgment to Christ (Rom. XIV, 10: “we will all appear at the judgment seat of Christ,” cf. 2 Cor. V, 10, according to Rom. XIV, 12: “each of us will give an answer to God for himself,” i.e. e. From-

1) Wed. "Bride of the Lamb"

tsu. 1) Is it possible to combine both of these understandings, although they seem to contradict each other? Yes, you can and should. The Father, as the initial Hypostasis, is the Primary Source of all created being in all its states, but the Son, as the divine-human Hypostasis, is the revelation of the Father 2) in the world, in particular in its destinies and in judgment. To this can be added a silent but effective participation in the life of the world and the Third Hypostasis as perfect. This corresponds to the difference in the texts, where judgment is spoken of either in relation to the Father or to the Son of Man. The place of the trial is not indicated. This means that there is no earthly place for it, since it takes place outside of earthly space, in the coming century. This general thought about meta-empirical existence is expressed in the words: “from whose face heaven and earth fled, and no place was found for them” (11) in the transformed world in its transcendence to the earthly world. This corresponds to a similar lack of indication of the place of judgment in Matt. XXV, 31-3 (“the right” and “left” sides here mean not so much a place as a spiritual state).

A further feature in the depiction of the court is that in Revelation it speaks of judgment only over the dead: “I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God... and the dead were judged... then the sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and hell gave up the dead that were in them.” (12-13). The question naturally arises: does this mean that the number of those judged is limited only to the dead, i.e., obviously, now alive, or also to those resurrected? But in this case, how can this be reconciled with the teaching of revelation that the Lord will be met on earth both by the resurrected dead and by the living, who undergo a certain “change”, obviously tantamount to resurrection (1 Cor. XV, 51-2)? Of course, there cannot be any contradiction in this difference in texts. Obviously, they are not talking about different things, although in different ways, touching only on different aspects of the subject of presentation, in accordance with the general plan and context. Therefore in Revelation, if we talk about judgment only over the dead, then here we mean the general resurrection as the gate through which all humanity enters the future world and appears before the judgment of Christ. Here, as it were, different categories of those rising from the dead are indicated: great and small in general, then the sea, death and hell, giving

1) Charles (II 192) asserts - without sufficient grounds (based on the texts: Rev. XIV, 18-20; XVII, 14; XIX, 11-12; XX, 7-10 - that judgment over the dead belongs to the Father, and over the living - To my son. None of these texts directly relate to the court.

2) This corresponds to the images of chapter V, in which the Lamb comes and takes the book from Him who sits on the throne, (V, 7) and further (8-14).

their dead. The truth of the general resurrection does not receive here the deliberate disclosure that it has in some other New Testament texts (especially 1 Cor. XV), the return to life of the dead is stated without further explanation as a universal destiny, and judgment follows. And the focus here is this last one. Moreover, as an image of the court here, as in other texts of similar content, the “opening of books” is indicated. First it speaks of the “books” (plural), by which “the dead were judged according to their works” (12), and along with this it speaks of the “book of life” (singular) (XII, 15) which contains, obviously, the names of the elect: “whoever was not written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire” (15).

Who is this trial being carried out on? Here we find ourselves faced with a certain surprise or, in any case, uncertainty. Where we would expect a general resurrection, it is said like this: “and I saw dead, small and great, standing before the throne... and were judged dead according to what is written in the books... then the sea gave away dead who were in it, gave away both death and hell dead, which were in them,” and then it also speaks of the second death (14). Nothing is said about the bodily resurrection at all (12-13). However, this use of words does not at all eliminate the understanding that what is being said here is precisely the resurrection from the dead, i.e., the bodily resurrection, and this provides the simplest and most natural interpretation of the text. It must find justification for itself in connection with the general biblical, Old and New Testament teaching, which generally speaks of the resurrection. So, we read, first of all, from the same John in the Gospel: VI, 39-40: “This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that... to raise all this up on the last day.” “I will resurrect αναςτήσω him on the last day.” 1) This also applies, of course, to 1 Cor. XV; 1 Thess. IV, 14, 16, etc. If there were not all these overwhelming and decisive evidence with the promise of a general resurrection, one would be limited to the interpretation of texts XX, 12-14 without any context, then one could still fall into doubt as to their true meaning. However, if they have a common understanding in the sense of a general bodily resurrection. This is dogmatically compulsory. And in any case, the content of these texts is combined with this teaching. Is such compensation possible and how is it possible?

1) However, in contrast, although not in contradiction with ἀναστήσω VI, 39-40, we read in V, 21: “how the Father awakens ἐγείρει (in the Slavic and Russian translation, this word is inaccurately conveyed: resurrects) the dead and revives ξροποιεῖ , so the Son gives life to whomever He wants.”

Doesn’t it seem possible, and in its own way even convincing, to understand the texts about the judgment of the “dead” in the context of the doctrine of the first resurrection of the saints, who “came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years, but the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were completed” ( 5)? Doesn't this include " how long» the deadline, after the onset of a certain “revival” or the incorporeal resurrection already applies to the souls of all the dead? Such an interpretation would mean that the general resurrection in bodies is still preceded also a universal, but not simultaneously occurring, revival of souls, their awakening from mortal sleep or fainting, which is expressed by the words “revived.” Then this thought expands in the sense that the general Last Judgment, which is to take place after the resurrection, is still preceded by some preliminary judgment of souls who are in a state of mortal disembodiment, in separation from their bodies. This generally includes “the dead, small and great, standing before God,” both the righteous and those belonging to “the sea, death and hell” (13). They stand in this first resurrection and the first judgment of God before the great and white throne and Him who sits on it. Likewise, the “first resurrection” of the saints is preceded by a similar vision (4): “And I saw thrones, and them that sat on them, to whom it was given to judge, and the souls of them that were beheaded,” which, apparently, also appear before this throne for judgment, for them short and sweet. 1) If we accept this interpretation, then we must further conclude that this revival of souls takes place in the afterlife, the spiritual world, not on this earth, but beyond its borders. Therefore, it is quite possible and even appropriate to assume that earthly life from the first to the general resurrection in the flesh continues, and, in any case, nothing is told about it in relation to this revival of souls. But in connection with this, another question arises: what is the attitude of the living, who have not yet passed through the gates of death, to this general spiritual resurrection? Does it apply to them too, and if so, when and how?

If we accept such an exegetical hypothesis, then it will introduce its dogmatic completion and complication into the general doctrine of resurrection and judgment: both occur twice, and this doubling must be dogmatically understood in some connection,

1) Those sitting on the thrones here, obviously, are those to whom this was promised by Christ (Matt. XIX, 28; Luke XXII, 30), that is, the apostles who have to judge the twelve tribes of Israel, and according to the apostle. The saints will even promise Paul angels (1 Cor. VI, 2-3).

as a two-unity, for which, however, any other data in Revelation are missing. 1)

Here we stand before a New Secret, which is not open, although slightly revealed in the XXth chapter Revelations. Here there is equally no way to confidently answer either yes or no, and one can only wait in humility for the Spirit of God to shed His light on these mysterious writings. But with any understanding of the texts under consideration, one should make a general conclusion that in the perspective of the future, different achievements merge, and this should once again warn us against the crude schematism of legalistic ideas about the end of the world and judgment as a kind of one-time sentence. On the contrary, the perspective “forever and ever” accommodates diverse steps and multiple accomplishments in the life of the next century.

Now the task remains of interpreting the last images in the symbolism of the XXth chapter, which relate to the revival of the dead. It is said this way: “then the sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and hell gave up the dead that were in them” (13). What does "sea" mean? If we adhere to the literal understanding, then here we are talking about those drowned in the sea as a special image of death, therefore, either about the resurrection of bodies, or the revival of souls. It is difficult to take this image literally, in a restrictive sense, for the sole reason that it is not clear why it is said only about the dead in the sea, but not on land. 2) Therefore, it is more natural to understand the sea not in the literal sense, but as a general image of the mortal element, of the dead in general. In this sense, this figurative expression is close to the next one: “death and hell” as the personification of gaping death. It is possible, of course, that a shade of meaning is being introduced here that it is the souls of sinners that are meant here (although there is no need for such an interpretation). The general meaning of this 13th verse most likely refers to the general resurrection - mental or physical, and this is the resurrection of judgment: “and everyone was judged according to his deeds.” If we see here the resurrection of only souls, preceding the general resurrection in the flesh, then we have to accept the judgment of souls, preceding the general

1) In connection with the doctrine of the first resurrection, the mysterious words of the conclusion of John’s Gospel could also be understood: “When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus: Lord, what is he? Jesus says to him: if I want him to remain until I come, what do you... And this word spread among the brethren that that disciple will not die. But Jesus did not tell him that he would not die, but “if I want him to remain until I come, what do you need” (John . XXI, 20-23). Isn't this talking about John's first resurrection?

2) Charles II, 196 suggests therefore - rather arbitrarily - to read instead of "sea", ταμεῖ α - treasury of souls as a more general concept.

final judgment after the resurrection. Such an assumption would raise a new dogmatic question about the relationship between these two types of judgment, but insoluble, due to the lack of data for this in revelation.

No less mysterious is the following verse (14): “Both death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death” (cf. I, 8, VI, 8). If we compare this verse with XX, 6: “over them (participants in the “first resurrection”) the second death has no power,” then we should conclude that the “second death,” which consists of “casting into the lake of fire” (15), is subject to some part of the “dead” standing before the throne. It is “whoever was not written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” (15). Here, of course, is the fate of sinners who belong to death and hell. However, it is hardly possible to give an exhaustive meaning to this allegory, at least if it is compared with texts speaking about the abolition of death. So, already here, in the next chapter (XXI, 4); “and there will be no more death,” just as in the triumphant words of the Old Testament Gospel of the prophet Isaiah: “death will be swallowed up forever” (XXV, 8), which is echoed by the New Testament word of St. Paul: “the last enemy to be destroyed is death” (1 Cor. XV, 26), where the apostle quotes the words of the prophet. Isaiah, like Hosea: “Death! where is your sting? Hell! where is your victory? (these words are also given in the Easter sermon of John Chrysostom). The same is the general testimony of our Easter hymn: “Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death and giving life to those in the grave.” However, if XXI, 4 undoubtedly speaks of the destruction of death, which “will no longer exist,” then the question arises: does XX, 14 speak of death in the same sense or in a different, allegorical one? In the latter case, the expression “death and hell” being cast into the lake of fire refers to the fate of sinners as not being written in the book of life. And in this regard, the same question arises; Is this their last and final destiny, or does this sentence mean some passage through fire, after which, according to the word of the Apostle, although his work will be burned, “he himself will be saved, although as if from fire” (1 Cor. III, 15 ). Casting into the lake of fire would mean here the abolition of those spiritual principles that are worthy of it: “the beast and the false prophet” are thrown into it, then the devil joins them (XX, 10), and now death and hell. If we attribute the content of the 20th chapter only to mental “revival,” then this purgatory fire—the awareness of the falsity and sinfulness of one’s path and repentance for it—lights up in the afterlife, before the general resurrection in bodies; if we mean a general resurrection here,

Therefore, we have to see here a sentence that sends sinners into eternal fire, prepared for the devil and his angels (Matthew XXV). However, even then a further question arises: is this fire the last, final, or only a temporary purifying state? But this question, in addition to general eschatology 1) will be considered in connection with the last chapters Revelations.

What does this “second death” mean, from which those awarded the “first resurrection” are free, but which awaits “death and hell” and all those cast into the lake of fire with them? IN Revelation the "first resurrection" is spoken of, although the second is not spoken of, which, however, is implied from this presence of the "first." But it is spoken, however, about the “second death,” which, in turn, obviously implies the first, universal death. Does the “second death” mean “eternal” dying or torment that will never end, or does it have its end, and combustion leads to the burning of the doomed, i.e., to final destruction? The first understanding of the eternity of burning and torment is generally accepted in theology, no matter how difficult it is to accept for the Christian consciousness and no matter how contrary to revelation. Essentially, it is blasphemy in relation to the love of God and to His Wisdom as the Creator and Provider. But no less, if not more, blasphemy and even outright heresy is the second understanding, which allows for the final destruction of everything, cast into the lake of fire. This is the doctrine of “conditional immortality” of some exegetes. 2) Of course, the allegorical nature of the images Revelations here, even more than in other cases, it does not allow for literal understanding and encourages us to look for their hidden meaning and symbolic interpretation. It must proceed from general dogmatic premises and be consistent with the entire biblical context. Negative prerequisites for this are, on the one hand, the inadmissibility of never-ending eternal torment, always burning, but never burning hell.

1) See “Bride of the Lamb,” eschatology.

2) It is strange to see among them such a serious and thoughtful exegete as Prof. Zahn (II, 106-8), who understands the second death as combustion and destruction in the lake of fire " Und welchen Zweck K ö nnte Gott dabei verfolgen , dass er dem Teufel und seinen . Gesinnunggenossen zu einer so entzetz lichen Unsterblichkeit verhülfe. Das Bewusstein der ewigen Selikeit der einer Hölle voll gepeinigten Geister würde die ewige Seligkeit der Kinder Gottes aufs äusserste gefärden” (608). Such a consideration about the spiritual comfort of the children of God only confirms the blasphemous nature of the idea of ​​the death penalty through burning, to which God’s creations are supposedly subjected by the will of the Creator and Provider Himself.

fire, and on the other hand, burning with complete destruction. While preserving all the stunning power of this image, one must look for its meaning in the understanding of the lake of fire, burning with sulfur, as a spiritual combustion, burning everything worthy of it, but through this cleansing, freeing from it the creation of God, which is saved, but as if from fire, according to the word ap. Pavel. This primarily spiritual suffering can be accompanied by spiritual-physical suffering, due to the connection of the soul with the body. However, it remains purifying, purgatory, but not hellish or deadly (of course, “hell” in all the ambiguity of this word should not be understood as a synonym for some kind of evil eternity, scorching, burning, but not refining and not purifying). The specific, exact meaning of this image as relating to the life of the future century, which is now beyond us, is the mystery of God’s vision, which now cannot be revealed. It is only indicated in symbolic and even mythological images, but also ontological ones.

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Words used in the Bible to convey the concept of "kingdom" [Heb. Malchut; Greek Basileia], mean: “royal power”, royal dominion.” The word “kingdom” has two meanings: “rule of a king” and “territory subject to a king” (cf. Ps 144:13; Matt 25:34).

In the Gospel of Matthew, another phrase is used more often - “Kingdom of Heaven” (32 times; “Kingdom of God” - only in Matthew 6:33; 12:28; 19:24; 21:31, 43), but these expressions are synonymous.

The Kingdom of God means, first of all, the unlimited power of the Lord over the world - over the kingdom of nature and Spirit (Ps 102:19)

19 The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, and His kingdom rules over all.
(Ps. 103:19)

But besides this, something else is implied, namely: the dominion of God, to whom we submit ourselves and whom we willingly and joyfully serve.

Jesus teaches to pray for the coming of this Kingdom, this royal power of God (Matthew 6:10)

(Matt. 6:10)

The Kingdom of God is simultaneously in the present and in the future

Its nature cannot be called either purely earthly, or purely unearthly, or purely spiritual (1 Chronicles 29:11); a one-sided interpretation would lead to a narrowing of this biblical concept.

11 Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the splendor, and all [that] is in heaven and on earth, [Yours]: Yours, O Lord, is the kingdom, and You are above all, as the Sovereign.
(1 Chronicles 29:11)

II. BIBLE ABOUT THE KINGDOM OF GOD

The Kingdom of God, partially manifested in the present, will come in all its fullness in the future.

The Old Testament tells about the birth of the Kingdom of God, what opposes it on earth, and sets out prophetic promises concerning this Kingdom and its future.

The New Testament shows the One in whom the “Kingdom of God” is manifested on earth: Jesus Christ.

! Where Christ is, there the Kingdom of God comes

But only with the Second Coming of Jesus in glory will the Kingdom of God find its perfection on earth:

1 The Old Testament proclamation of the Kingdom of God and its expectation

When speaking about the Old Testament history of the Kingdom of God, we must first of all keep in mind the mission of Israel.

To establish His Kingdom on earth, God chose a people whom He began to lead in a special way, so that through them God’s essence would be revealed to all other peoples.

5 Therefore, if you will obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you will be My inheritance from all nations, for the whole earth is Mine,
6 And you will be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation; These are the words that you will speak to the children of Israel.
(Ex.19:5,6)

To equip Israel for the fulfillment of a high commission, God sent him His prophets, through whose mouths He gave instructions to the people.

25 From the day that your fathers came out of the land of Egypt until this day, I have sent all My servants the prophets to you, every day I have sent them from early in the morning;
(Jer.7:25)

But the people of Israel resisted God's leading and hindered the progress of God's Kingdom on earth (see Nehemiah 9:6-37).

The prophets came out with sharp denunciations of the Israelites, announcing judgment against God's chosen people. And the punishment came. Palestine was conquered by enemies, and the people were taken into captivity. But God did not give up His plan.

The predictions of the prophets about the coming Kingdom, in which God's plans would be fulfilled, were to be fulfilled. From Israel the confession of God must spread to all the nations of the world. Weapons intended for war will be reforged into tools.

(Isa.2:2-4)

1 And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills, and the nations shall flock to it.
2 And many nations will go and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord and to the house of the God of Jacob, and He will teach us His ways, and we will walk in His paths, for out of Zion will go out the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
3 And he will judge many nations, and rebuke many nations in distant countries; and they will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; nation will not raise sword against nation, and they will no longer learn to fight.
4 But each one will sit under his own vine and under his own fig tree, and no one will make them afraid, for the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken it.
5 For all nations walk, every one in the name of his god; and we will walk in the name of the Lord our God forever and ever.
(Mic. 4:1-5)

Israel will be a blessing “in the midst of the earth” (Isaiah 19:24). This kingdom on earth will be established by a King from the line of David. He will “execute judgment and righteousness on earth” (Isaiah 11:1,2; Jeremiah 33:15). While the kingdoms of the earth are characterized by the bestial nature (see Dan 7), the coming C.B. filled with people crap. He is represented “as the Son of man” (Dan 7:13). It will replace all previous earthly kingdoms and take their place (Dan 2:44). In the future C.B. life will be subject to new regulations, respectively. God's will (Jer 31:33; Eze 36:25ff.);

2 The Kingdom of God in the Modern World

John the Baptist and Jesus declared that the kingdom of God was “at hand” (Matthew 3:2; 4:17).

2 and says: Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
(Matt. 3:2)

17 From that time Jesus began to preach and say: Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
(Matt. 4:17)

John said that this Kingdom will be established by the One who comes after him. The entire sermon of Jesus is filled with intense expectation: the Kingdom of God is already on the threshold, it has already arrived in Jesus, but one should still pray for the coming of the Kingdom.

10 Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven;
(Matt. 6:10)

7 As you go, preach that the kingdom of heaven is at hand;
(Matt. 10:7)

28 But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has certainly come upon you.
(Matt. 12:28)

In His parables (Matthew 13) Jesus speaks of the growth of this Kingdom; this process will be completed by the powerful intervention of God (parable of the net, vv. 47-50).

47 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of all kinds,
48 which, when it was full, they pulled ashore and sat down, collecting the good in vessels, and throwing out the bad.
49 So it will be at the end of the age: angels will come out and separate the wicked from among the righteous,
50 And they will throw them into the fiery furnace: there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
(Matt. 13:47-50)

! The King of this Kingdom is Jesus Himself, sent by God

His Kingdom is spiritual in nature, it is “not of this world”

36 Jesus answered: My kingdom is not of this world; If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would fight for Me, so that I would not be betrayed to the Jews; but now my kingdom is not from here.
(John 18:36)

It cannot be established by human effort or weapons (vv. 33-37).

The one who wants to “see” the Kingdom of God and waits for its “coming”, i.e. "of the Spirit"

1 Among the Pharisees there was a certain man named Nicodemus, [one of] the leaders of the Jews.
2 He came to Jesus at night and said to Him: Rabbi! we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do such miracles as You do unless God is with him.
3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless someone is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
4 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old?” Can he really enter his mother’s womb another time and be born?
5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7 Do not be surprised at what I said to you: you must be born again.
8 The Spirit breathes where it wills, and you hear its voice, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes: this is the case with everyone born of the Spirit.
(John 3:1-8)

! The Kingdom of God cannot be considered to belong only to the Jews

It is available to everyone who is in right relationship with God

11 But I tell you that many will come from the east and the west and will lie down with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven;
(Matt. 8:11)

The “fundamental law” of the kingdom of God’s power is rightfully considered the Sermon on the Mount, which lists the basic rules in force in the Kingdom of God.

Jesus' sacrificial death, resurrection and ascension created the spiritual conditions for the ancient promises of the Kingdom of God on earth and the mission of Israel to be realized. Apparently this is what Jesus' disciples expected before His ascension:

6 Therefore they came together and asked Him, saying: is it not at this time, O Lord, that you restore the kingdom to Israel?
(Acts 1:6)

Answering this question, the Risen One did not refute the assumption made, but said that the right to set times and dates belongs only to the Father. The disciples themselves had the opportunity to experience an event that was extremely important in the history of the Kingdom of God, when the apostles “were filled ... with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2).

From that day on, the Kingdom of God embraces everyone who believes in Christ, in the great, universal Church of Christ, which is represented on earth by local churches, but is not limited to them.

! In, the Kingdom of God is embodied.

All national, religious and social differences disappear within it

28 There is no longer Jew nor Gentile; there is neither slave nor free; there is neither male nor female: for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
(Gal.3:28)

Since Christ is the God-appointed King of the Kingdom of God, this Kingdom is rightly called the Kingdom of Christ

11 For in this way free entry into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be opened for you.
(2 Peter 1:11)

The believer in Christ is brought into His Kingdom

13 who delivered us from the power of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of his beloved Son,
(Col. 1:13)

where “righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” triumph

17 For the kingdom of God is not food and drink, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
(Rom. 14:17)

The subjects of this Kingdom still live in peace

15 I do not pray that You take them out of the world, but that You keep them from evil.
(John 17:15)

but they can already communicate with God; they are involved in the Kingdom of Heaven;

20 But our citizenship is in heaven, from where we look for a Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ,
(Phil. 3:20)

1 Therefore, if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ sits at the right hand of God;
2 Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things.
3 For you are dead, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
(Col.3:1-3)

3 The Coming Fullness of the Kingdom of God

The presence of the Kingdom of God is still hidden from people and is known only by faith. But with the Second Coming of the Lord, the Kingdom of God will be established in power and glory.

There are two aspects to be distinguished here:

a) the coming Kingdom will first be earthly; then many prophetic predictions will come true

(eg Isa 2:2-4; 11:6-9; Zech 8:13,20-23).

2 And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills, and all nations shall flow unto it.
3 And many nations will go and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, and He will teach us His ways, and we will walk in His paths; For out of Zion will come the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
4 And he will judge the nations, and rebuke many nations; And they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
(Isa.2:2-4)

6 Then the wolf will live with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the kid; and the calf, and the young lion, and the ox will be together, and a little child will lead them.
7 And the cow shall feed with the she bear, and their cubs shall lie down together, and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
8 And the child will play in the asp’s hole, and the child will stretch out his hand into the viper’s nest.
9 They will not harm or destroy in all My holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.
(Isa.11:6-9)

13 And it shall come to pass: just as ye, the house of Judah, and the house of Israel, were a curse among the nations, so will I save you, and ye shall be a blessing; do not be afraid; may your hands be strengthened!
(Zechariah 8:13)

20 Thus says the Lord of hosts: Nations and inhabitants of many cities will still come;
21 And the inhabitants of one city will go to the inhabitants of another and say: Let us go and pray to the face of the Lord, and let us seek the Lord of hosts; [and everyone] [will say]: I will go too.
22 And many nations and mighty nations will come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem and to pray to the face of the Lord.
23 Thus says the Lord of hosts: It will come to pass in those days that ten men from all the nations of many tongues will take hold of the half of Judah and say, We will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.
(Zechariah 8:20-23)

Based on the Holy Scriptures, we can talk about the millennial kingdom (Rev 20:1-6).

In this the prophecy about the calling of Israel will be fulfilled. Jesus, coming to earth a second time, will judge the nations, deciding who is worthy to “inherit” His Kingdom (Matthew 25:31-46).

It is impossible to attribute biblical statements about the earthly Kingdom of Christ only to the spiritual sphere, thereby devaluing them. Someday it will be announced from heaven: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and he will reign forever and ever” (Rev 11:15);

b) the earthly Kingdom of Christ should, however, be distinguished from the final perfection of all created things, when Christ will transfer His royal power into the hands of the Father, and all authority and power will be abolished (1 Cor. 15:24)

24 And then the end, when He will hand over the Kingdom to God the Father, when He will abolish all rule and all authority and power.
(1 Cor. 15:24)

Then the Kingdom of God will reach its fullness. When all the enemies of God are defeated, and the last of them is death (v. 26), Jesus will fulfill the purpose of His kingship.

The kingdom of the world became the kingdom of Christ (11:15). They came to life and reigned with Christ (on earth) for a thousand years (Rev. 20:4).

God's work will not cease in preparing the coming of Christ and the restoration of His Kingdom. The earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters fill the sea. When millions of enlightened people are reborn on a transformed earth, and then the life of the visible with the invisible, the temporary with the eternal, begins, what a wonderful enlightenment of all peoples this will be!

What is the thousand-year kingdom of Christ on earth according to the Bible, and who will live in this kingdom? “And the girdle of His loins will be righteousness, and the girdle of His thighs will be truth. Then the wolf will live with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the kid; and the calf, and the young lion, and the ox will be together, and a little child will lead them. And the cow will graze with the she-bear, and their cubs will lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the child will play over the asp's hole, and the child will stretch out his hand into the snake's nest. They will not do evil on My holy mountain; for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea (Isa. 11:5-9).

The prophecies of the Old Testament speak very clearly about the establishment of the kingdom of peace on earth: first, this is the glorious jubilee of the earth (Lev. 25:8-101); secondly, this is the rehabilitation of Christ and the church (Isa. 53:2) and thirdly, this is the fulfillment of all the promises to Israel and the nations of the earth (Ps. 2:1-12).

From His kingdom all curses and the author of them will be removed. The Lord said to my Lord: “Sit at My right hand, until I make Your enemies Your footstool!” The Lord will send the rod of Your strength from Zion” (Ps. 109:1).

And until when should we maintain deathly silence about the great glory of Christ on earth that you will create? Hundreds of prophecies, visions and revelations speak of this. Who gave the right to keep silence behind seven seals and who benefits from hiding the dizzying joy from the knowledge of the coming Kingdom (millennium). We must clearly imagine the atmosphere of harmonious calm that will reign on earth in the era of the millennium. It will abolish state and social violence, it will eliminate any kind of exploitation, it will weaken the predatory principle in man. It will soften the morals of nations to the extent that the prophecies indicate to you; it will raise culture, creativity, architecture, painting to a rational creative being (Is. 65:19-23). About the despotism of states, about wars and revolutions; You will learn about hunger, poverty, epidemics and diseases only in museums and libraries. All our strength, not distracted by social struggle and personal life, will be spent on spiritual and physical improvement, on quenching the thirst for knowledge of Divine wisdom.

But as far as I myself understood and imagined, I can explain to you how much the earth can be renewed. I know that in people's dreams, in their visions and revelations, a lot is shown about this.

What does this kingdom look like?

And it will come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the house of the Lord will be established as the top of the mountains, and will be exalted above the hills, and all nations will flow to it. And He will judge the nations and rebuke many nations, and they will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks, and nation will not lift up sword against nation, and they will no longer learn to fight, nor will His thighs be girded - Truth. They will not harm or destroy on My holy mountain: for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea” (Isa. 2:2-5).

This picture, like past visions, passed before me when I returned and was in a dream. I thought - this is the restoration of the paradise created by God, only on a huge scale throughout civilization and all humanity. This is a worldwide unification of peoples for peaceful purposes and the preservation of the sacred gift of life on earth. The millennial reign of Christ is God's original intention for mankind and the earth (Heb. 1:6; Isa. 35:1-8). There will be no more sickness and suffering (Isa. 2:2-4). Peace will reign throughout the whole earth (Ps. 45:10; 71:7). There is no end to His government (Isa. 9:7). There will be an abundance of healthy food (Ps. 71:1b-17; Isa. 11:6-10). All this and much more cannot remain reflected in culture, education, architecture, science, construction and urban planning, the ensemble of great services and the glorification of Christ for the nations. The temple in Jerusalem will be small. Do you know what magnificent temples there will be, filled with great works of artists? What kind of choirs and music are there? Spiritualizing the soul of man, majestic glorification is like incense ascending to the throne of majesty on high.

When speaking about enlightenment in the millennial Kingdom, we must understand that it will be worldwide. How many teachers, directors, professors, institutes and academies will be needed to cover the whole world! What will they teach there? This includes, firstly, all spiritual areas: the consciousness of the soul and spirit, because there will be people from a higher sphere who will transmit the influence of spiritual healthy abilities on the physical world.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21

On February 15, 1921, Dr. Evan O'Neill Kane, a surgeon at Kane Summit Hospital in New York City, performed the first major operation under local anesthesia. During his 37 years of work, he performed almost four thousand operations for appendicitis. Who would decide to undergo surgery only under local anesthesia? O'Neill spent a long time looking for a volunteer. Many were afraid to take risks. What if they feel pain?

Finally, Dr. Kane found a candidate. The patient was prepared, brought to the operating room and local anesthesia was administered. As in thousands of similar cases, Dr. Kane cut through the upper tissue and found the appendix. He skillfully cut it out and completed the surgical operation. During all this time, the patient complained only of slight discomfort.

Dr. Kane proved the effectiveness of local anesthesia, and with this operation he made history in a double sense. He performed the surgery on himself because he was the volunteer. The doctor became the patient to convince patients to trust the doctor.

Likewise, Jesus became human to understand human experiences and gain our trust (1). “For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in all points like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:15, 16). The Calvary Christ intercedes for us at the investigative judgment. This is the main point of the good news during the judgment. The crucified Intercessor presides over the investigative court.

Day of Cleansing

The annual day of cleansing the sanctuary and “the children of Israel from all their sins” (Lev. 16:34) occurred on the tenth day of the seventh month of the Judean year. At the end of it, the sanctuary and the people were clean. The day of atonement was followed by the Feast of Tabernacles, which, among other things, celebrated the completion of the atonement (2). Daniel knew about this important annual judgment that precedes the new year. Within this context we must reflect on the words: “For two thousand three hundred evenings and mornings; and then the sanctuary will be cleansed” (Dan. 8:14). We'll come back to this later.

At the end of the 2,300 days, it is not the execution (nisdak) of the judgment, but the beginning of the process that will result in the judgment. The time has come to “fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come, and to worship Him who made heaven and earth and the sea and springs of water” (Rev. 14:7). On the Day of Atonement, the people were to gather around the sanctuary and focus on the high priest as their representative, who ministered in the Holy of Holies before God. It was a time for self-exploration.

On October 22, 1844, the day of purification began, which was the fulfillment of the type. During the investigative phase of the trial, the focus should be on the high priestly ministry of Christ in the heavenly sanctuary. However, the little horn diverts people's attention from Christ, who is in the sanctuary, and directs it to the ministry of earthly priests.

Investigative Judgment in Hebrews

Does the book of Hebrews mention the investigative phase of judgment? “There is no law-judgment model in Hebrews, nor should it be implied or added,” says William G. Johnsson. He suggests that “the model of judgment, valuable in itself, is only one of the ways in which Scripture presents the human dilemma and its solution by Christ” (3). Indeed, numerous theories of the atonement are proof that the ministry of Christ is much greater than any type implies (4). Yet Jonsson sees the theme of judgment in Hebrews, “but this Epistle does not integrate the concept of Heb. 9:23—the necessity of cleansing the heavenly sanctuary—with this theme” (5). Jonsson sees three explicit references to the Day of Atonement in Heb. 9:6, 7, 24, 25 and 10:1-4 (6). However, he appears to share the purification in Heb. 9:23 and the day of atonement in Heb. 9:24, 25 (see comment below). He also believes that “Hebrews does not discuss the time of the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary and judgment (Heb. 9:23)” (7).

In contrast to Johnsson, Richard M. Davidson believes that Hebrews 9 "contains an allusion to it [that is, to the time], referring to the cleansing of the sanctuary (Heb. 9:23), then to the future judgment (v. 27 ) and the Second Coming of Christ (v. 28).” Davidson further suggests that “the future judgment is referred to in five additional passages (2:2-4; 4:1-3; 6:7-12; 10:28-39; 12:26-29). These passages suggest an inquisitorial (4:12; 6:10; 10:28-30) as well as an executive phase of the judgment of God's people. These hints regarding time are consistent with the Old Testament type" (8). George E. Rayet divides the book of Hebrews into five parts, composed of three identical elements, with the third element in each part being judgment (Heb. 2:2-4; 4:1-13; 6:7, 8; 10:32 -39; 12:25-29) (9).

The two views above (Jonsson, Davidson) demonstrate a two-pronged approach to interpreting the day of atonement as typified into reality in the book of Hebrews. Jonsson believes that the function of the Day of Atonement referred to in Hebrews is to show that even in the best ritual sacrifices the ancient culture was deficient. “Everything that the old system could not do because of its inconsistency, everything that the repeated days of purification could not do, was achieved by Golgotha” (10). Consequently, “the sacrificial theme in Hebrews (8:1-10-10:18) is the best blood, not the Day of Atonement” (11). Johnsson then concludes that “Heb. 9:1-5 [the altar of incense in the Holy of Holies] should not arouse the desire to consider this passage in terms of the embodiment of the type into reality” (12). Apparently, for Jonsson, the main thing is the effectiveness of the victim, and not the typology.

In contrast, Richard M. Davidson shows that “the typology in Hebrews consists of the same basic conceptual structures as the typology of the rest of Scripture” (13). This includes both horizontal and vertical matches. As for Heb. 9:1-5, then the golden censer was placed in the Holy of Holies not because of any misunderstanding by the author of the Old Testament sanctuary, but because echousa (“had”) seems to correctly indicate its functional affiliation with the Holy of Holies (14 ). Moreover, all the modifications of the Old Testament types in the Epistle to the Hebrews are not new evidence of a departure from typology, for each example has its roots in the Old Testament, which legitimizes the modifications (15).

What do we make of these two different views regarding the Day of Atonement in Hebrews? It seems to me that although the book of Hebrews is an instruction composed with great skill, it does not give a systematic account of the judgment and the time of its occurrence, and it does not make a detailed distinction between the investigative and the final judgment. Nevertheless, the author implies a trial. He uses the word "judgment" (krisis, process - Heb. 9:27; kriseos, process - Heb. 10:27; krivei, process - Heb. 13:4; krimatos aioniou, result - eternal judgment - Heb. 6:2 ). The fire of judgment is mentioned (kausin - Heb. 6:8; pur katanaliskon - Heb. 12:29). Synonyms for judgment are the impossibility of “escaping” (ekpheuzometha - Heb. 2:3) and “giving an account” (hos logon - Heb. 13:17). Finally, God is referred to as the “Judge of all” (kritei theo panton - Heb. 12:23).

What is the significance of all these references to judgment? That the book of Hebrews is addressed to backslidden Christians is clear throughout the letter (16). The author seeks to show that they left a much better Christ (Heb. 1:4), “a better hope” (Heb. 7:19), “a better covenant” (Heb. 7:22), “better promises” (Heb. 8 :6) and a “better” sacrifice (Heb. 9:23) with better blood (Heb. 9:12). The keyword "best" (kreitton) appears 13 times (17). Although the judgment is mentioned in passing, it is the judgment they are now and will be subject to in the future for what they left behind. The author mentally balances the two sides.

Moreover, the book of Hebrews speaks of an “image” (Srop, Heb. 8:5) that necessarily corresponds to reality (antitupa, Heb. 9:24)—that is, the service in the earthly sanctuary corresponds to the service in the heavenly sanctuary. Therefore, returning to the question of Hebrews 9, we should expect that the cleansing in Heb. 9:23 is related to the day of atonement in Heb. 9:24, 25. Internal contextual evidence confirms this typological correspondence. In Heb. 9:22-27 speaks of the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary (katharizesthai, v. 23) - a direct reference to Dan. 8:14 (katharizesthai, nizdaq). Christ entered into antitupa (Heb. 9:24; cf. tupon in Heb. 8:5) to appear before God for the sake of men with His own sacrifice. Then, in the context of this “good news,” there is a mention of judgment (vv. 24-28). Therefore, it appears that we should not separate verse 23 from verses 24 and 25. We will return later to this emphasis on purification during the investigative phase of the judgment.

One more text needs to be commented on. In Heb. 10:26-31, the author addresses a person who calls himself a Christian, who “treads upon the Son of God and does not consider as holy the Blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and insults the Spirit of grace” (Heb. 10:29). Lensky astutely notes that “the expression ‘to trample underfoot’ is clearly depicted in Matt. 7:6, where swine trample pearls in the mud. Such actions towards the “Son of God” bring to mind everything that the Epistle from chapter 1, verse 2 onward says about His limitless exaltation. The author does not speak of the trampling of any gift brought by the Son of God, as he speaks of the “Mosaic Law,” but of the trampling of the infinitely exalted Son, Who is God Himself” (18). These words, addressed to fallen Jewish Christians, remind us of the little horn exalting itself to Christ (“chief of hosts”), taking away His daily service (tamid) and trampling upon it (mirmac, Sunpatethesetai, Dan. 8:13; cf. Art. 10). The trampling (from the verb pateo) in the Book of Daniel and in the Epistle to the Hebrews has one direction against Christ. It may also enrich our understanding of the investigative phase of the trial, as we will note subsequently.

These two passages (Heb. 9:22-28; 10:26-31) seem to suggest some allusion to the investigative judgment in Daniel. The first has a special meaning (the cleansing of the sanctuary and the people), and the second indicates the rejection of Christ, which leads to a negative judgment. Although Hebrews does not have a judgment scene like Daniel, the author's references to type and reality suggest that the author was thinking about it (19).

As a result, Jonsson looks from Calvary to the entire ritual service and correctly says: “The best blood is the blood that is much better than the victims of the Day of Atonement.” This is extremely important. Johnsson and Davidson might agree that the book of Hebrews looks from Calvary forward and upward as it speaks of a “better priesthood.” The author of Hebrews' own conclusion is given in Heb. 8:1, 2. It emphasizes the priesthood of Christ.

F. F. Bruce reminds us that “Hebrews, like no other book of the New Testament, deals with the ministry which our Lord now performs for His people” (20).

Jonsson is right that the model of judgment as well as sacrifice is the only way to portray the ministry of Christ. Many Old Testament images were fulfilled in the sacrifice of Christ, and yet, as Davidson reminds us, “all other aspects find their relative fulfillment in the priestly ministry of Christ” (21).

It is in this ministry and purification by Him that typology helps us to understand the doctrines, for it is to the Old Testament image that Hebrews refers when it speaks of the New Testament reality (see Heb. 9:22, 23). Therefore, the cleansing spoken of in Hebrews 9 finds its image in the day of atonement (Lev. 16), which symbolizes the investigative phase of judgment foretold in Dan. 8:14. Just as Calvary is better than all previous sacrifices, so the cleansing in the heavenly sanctuary is better, and the intercession of Christ at the judgment is better than all previous intercessions. Given the correspondence between image and reality, it implies an expansion of this court.

The Book of Revelation confirms the Book of Daniel

Kenneth Strand has convincingly demonstrated that the Book of Revelation is divided into eight major prophetic cycles, with chapters 4 through 14 representing visions of the historical era and chapters 15 through 20 representing the era of eschatological judgment. Each of the four eschatological parts culminates in judgment (22). I prefer to do the division from the 13th chapter rather than from the 14th. In Hebrews and the Book of Revelation the emphasis is on judgment.

The Book of Daniel and the Book of Revelation have some important parallels that we cannot consider due to lack of space. The Book of Revelation points to the little horn of the Book of Daniel as a beast, which follows from a comparison of the 13th chapter of the Book of Revelation and the 7th chapter of the Book of the Prophet Daniel (see table).

Scripture attributes false ministry to the little horn (see Dan. 8:14) and the beast (see Rev. 13:4-8, 12-15). The Book of Vice in Daniel mentions the imposition of false ministry under threat of death (see Dan. 3:4-6; 6:5-12). Just as Nebuchadnezzar placed an image in the field of Deira and everyone had to either worship it or die (see Dan. 3:4-6, 16-18), so the Book of Revelation speaks of the authority that commanded “those who dwell in earth, that they should make an image of the beast,” declaring that those who refuse to worship will be put to death (Rev. 13:14, 15). Worship is a fundamental eschatological issue. People will be forced to make a final decision - to worship either the beast or God. Worshiping the beast will result in God's wrath and judgment (see Rev. 14:9-11). A golden image was erected in ancient Babylon. The beast is spiritual Babylon (see Rev. 17:5). God's call is: “Come out of her, My people” (Rev. 18:2-5; cf. Rev. 14:8). “Worship him who made the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the springs of water” (Rev. 14:7), “Worship God!” (Rev. 22:9). This call has its roots in the command for Israel to return from the Babylonian captivity during the time of Ezra and Nehemiah. The call to turn from worshiping the beast and worshiping God is an important part of the investigative judgment message (see Rev. 14:7).

The identity between the beast and the little horn is so striking that Gregory K. Beale believes that “the thirteenth chapter of Revelation is modeled after the seventh chapter of the book of the wickedness of Daniel” (23). Revelation shows that God will execute judgment against the little horn (see Dan. 7:21, 22, 26, 27). This will happen in the last pre-Coming battle (24) between Christ and the beast (25) -. Armageddon (see Rev. 16-19) represents God's final confrontation with Babylon (the little horn - the beast and their followers, Rev. 13:3) and God's horrific judgment against the enemies of His people.

Then “I looked, and behold a bright cloud, and on the cloud sat one like the Son of Man; on his head is a golden crown, and in his hand is a sharp sickle” (Rev. 14:14). The Second Coming is shown here with Christ sitting on a cloud, which Hans Larondelle convincingly presented as a “cloud chariot” (26), for “He makes the clouds His chariot” (Ps. 103:3). Here Rev. 14:14 connects with the judgment scene from the Book of the prophet Daniel, in which the prophet sees: “Behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven” (Dan. 7:13). T. Longman III is convinced that Dan. 7:13 Christ rides on the “Divine War Chariot” (27). The seventh chapter of the Book of Daniel describes Christ approaching God to make a decision as a result of the investigative phase of the judgment, while in the 14th chapter of the Book of Revelation He goes to the people to carry out that decision. This movement in two directions in heaven leads to two gatherings on earth (see Rev. 14:6-13; 16:12-16). The adoption of a judicial decision before its implementation is conclusive evidence of the investigative court.

Christ on His cloudy chariot leaves the heavenly temple, and three angels also leave him to participate in the execution of the judgment (see Rev. 14:14-20) (28). It is appropriate that the judgment with its decision and execution should come from the temple, which was attacked by the little horn - the beast (cf. the Second Coming of Christ on a white horse with angels on white horses fighting against the little horn - the beast in Rev. 19:11-21) (29).

The Good News of the Investigative Court

1. Christ for us and against our enemy

Let's go back to the book of Hebrews. No book of the New Testament so comprehensively shows the ministry of Christ after His resurrection as in the Epistle to the Hebrews. Christ's mediation for His people is part of His superior ministry to that of the Old Testament priests, just as His sacrifice was superior to many ritual sacrifices. While it is true to say that Hebrews does not systematically develop the theme of judgment, it does systematically present the issue of Christ's mediation, which is the book's major contribution to the doctrine of investigative judgment. Examination of the records (see Dan. 7:10) is only one aspect of the judgment. The other is the mediation or intercession of Christ (cf. 1 Tim. 2:5; 1 John 2:1). Christ is in the presence of God for us (huper hemon - Heb. 9:24), where He can save completely (see Heb. 7:25) and where He always lives to intercede for His people (pantote zon eis to entugchanein huper auton - Hebrews 7:25).

He is the Intercessor - the Mediator, depicted in the 3rd chapter of the Book of the Prophet Zechariah, which places the emphasis on the investigative judgment in the context of the great controversy. The representative of God's people, Jesus, is in dire need. Dressed in filthy clothes and defiled, of course, in a cultic sense, he finds himself under the accusations of Satan (see Zech. 3:1-3). Zechariah's vision is a trial scene with an accuser and a defender of the condemned man (Jesus, the great priest, is certainly guilty. The question is not whether the priest is guilty, but what to do about it).

The prophet speaks of Jesus as “a brand plucked from the fire” (v. 2). Keil and Delitzsch's Commentary states that "the fire from which Jesus was rescued as a brand was the captivity in which Jesus and the nation were brought almost to destruction" (30). They deserved captivity (31) by rebelling against God, who delivered them into the hands of invaders (see Dan. 1:1, 2). God's people had nothing but dire need. They had nothing to justify themselves with. The same can be said about the apostate Christians to whom Hebrews is addressed (both the Jews in captivity and the Jewish Christians reading Hebrews rose up like the little horn). It is for the people who have sinned, but who recognize their need (which the little horn never does), that Christ intercedes. Isn't this good news?! So Jesus stood accused by Satan, and the accusation was just.

The high priest was in despair. He stood before the court, tainted by sin. Later, Christ will tell about a king who goes out to check on his guests and finds “a man not wearing a wedding garment” (Matthew 22:11). Obviously, this man thought that he could appear before the king without any help, that he was good enough, that his clothes and the records of his life were quite satisfactory. But they throw him away (v. 13). Unlike this man, Priest Jesus obviously knew his need and could expect help only from God. Didn't God lead Israel out of Babylonian captivity just as He brought them out of Egypt? Couldn't He also free them spiritually? The priest had nothing to justify himself with, but he stood filled with faith in God. I must emphasize that the mediation of Christ is not done to replace the Judge - God the Father, but to answer satanic accusations. Jesus said, “I do not tell you that I will ask the Father for you: for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me” (John 16:26, 27).

“Zechariah’s vision of Jesus and the Angel relates primarily to the experience of God’s people at the end of the great day of redemption” (32). Therefore, the third chapter of the Book of the Prophet Zechariah is a prototype of the investigative court. While Satan was accusing the priest, Christ (33) said: “Take off his filthy garments. And he said to himself: “Look, I have taken away your guilt and clothed you in solemn garments” (Zech. 3:4).

There is no doubt that Jesus exclaimed something like this: “I will rejoice in the Lord with joy, my soul will rejoice in my God; For He has clothed me with the robe of salvation; He has clothed me with the robe of righteousness” (Isaiah 61:10). It is this Intercessor - Mediator that is spoken of in the Epistle to the Hebrews, for Christ did not finish His mediation when the judgment began - He continues it, as shown in the vision of Zechariah. We should also remember that the priests also continued to offer the typical daily morning and evening sacrifices on the day of atonement, which served as a type.

God's end-time remnant must realize that Zechariah and Hebrews speak of ongoing mediation—the intercession of the victorious Christ during the investigative judgment. His people must focus on Christ and not on themselves. During the judgment, the saints worship Christ as their Creator (see Rev. 14:7), realizing that just as He gave them to enter this world, so He can take them into the world to come (34) Holy Scripture pictures the saints of the last time naked (see Rev. 3:17), similar to Adam and Eve at the Fall (see Gen. 3:10, 21). Neither fig leaves nor human effort can satisfy their need. Only the slain Lamb can provide the covering, only the garment of Christ's righteousness (see Isa. 61:10; Rev. 6:11), the wedding garment given by the Lord (see Matt. 22:11, 12), will be sufficient. The Prodigal Son needs “the best robe” to cover his rags (see Luke 15:22).

The saints will undergo investigative judgment. God will save only those whose names are found in the book (see Dan. 12:1). Therefore, the court will acquit them because they are different from the little horn. They do not speak arrogant words against Christ, do not exalt themselves, do not persecute the saints, do not intend to change God's times and laws or put themselves in God's place by casting the truth to the ground.

Zechariah speaks of the investigative judgment in the perspective of the great controversy. The saints are being attacked (under investigation in heaven) by their greatest enemy, while Daniel focuses on being attacked by a small horn on earth. Christ intercedes for them at the investigation (see Zech. 3) and at its fulfillment (see Dan. 7; cf. Rev. 16-19).

Ellen White portrays this struggle. Satan “is always looking for faults in those who try to obey God. He tries to show even their best service, acceptable to God, in the most unfavorable light. By means of countless tricks, the most subtle, insidious and cruel, Satan tries to achieve their condemnation. A person cannot answer these accusations on his own. He stands before God in robes stained with sin, confessing his guilt. But Jesus, our Advocate, makes a strong case for all who entrust their souls to Him through repentance and faith. He stands up for them and defeats their accuser with convincing arguments of Calvary’s sufferings” (35).

2. Calvary trumps everything else.

We are now ready to get into the nuts and bolts of what happens during the investigative phase of the judgment and what will therefore be accomplished in the judgment during and after the millennium (see Rev. 20:7-15). God does not need judgment because He is omniscient (see Ps. 32: 13-15; 57:8; 55:9; 103:24; 138:2, 6; 146:5; Isa. 44:28; 46 :9, 10; Mal. 3:16; Matt. 10:29, 30; Acts 15:8; Rom. 11:33; Eph. 3:10). “The Lord knows those who are His” (2 Tim. 2:19). He executes His judgments for the sake of created beings (36).

In judgment, the universe examines the record of man's good and bad deeds (see Dan. 7:10). The question arises as to whether people accepted or rejected the saving work accomplished for them by Christ on the cross (37). Their attitude toward the substitute ministry of the promised Savior determines their fate (cf. John 16:26, 27; 17:3).

It is this and nothing else that decides the personal fate of everyone. This is why the investigative judgment is centered on Christ and not man (38). In essence, what matters (39) is not what people did or did not do, but whether they accepted or rejected what Christ did for them when He was condemned on the cross for their sins (see John 12:31). It is also true that judgment has more to do with the vindication of God than of man, because it concerns the question of the great controversy, and not only the salvation of man.

The court does not reject Calvary. The crucified One intercedes for us. The investigative judgment is a component of salvation history that reveals the accomplishments of Christ on the cross. Calvary leads inexorably to the deliverance of God's people and the destruction of their enemies, because Christ accomplished both. Through Golgotha, Christ delivers His saints, destroys Satan and all enemies. Therefore, our gaze should be directed back to Calvary and upward to Christ, and not to ourselves. We can be forgiven, turn away from sin, and qualify for heaven, but this is accomplished only by looking to Christ (see 2 Cor. 3:17, 18). “If they had continued to look to Jesus, who was before them and leading them into the city, they would have been saved” (40). Only Jesus can say: “I am the way and the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). Only Christ can clothe the prodigals (see Luke 15:22). And only Christ can bring the lost sheep home (see Luke 15:5).

We should be aware of Satan's schemes. It diverts attention from the true ministry in the heavenly sanctuary and directs it to the false earthly priesthood ministry (little horn), and it does the same on a personal level by focusing on ourselves rather than on humanity's only Substitute. Focusing on the earthly priesthood or self equally takes our eyes away from Christ.

What we need most is not to brood over the judgment that is taking place, but to allow Calvary to transform us. We need to take our minds off our lives and sins and focus on Him, on His salvation. He fought long and furiously. No one will ever understand how thick the darkness was in which He lived in this world that did not accept Him. He was rejected even by His own people, precisely because they clung to their own works instead of accepting the merits He had done for them. They tried too hard to escape judgment by their own efforts instead of accepting His ministry for them.

The news of the investigative phase of the judgment is good news because there is Calvary, because Christ intercedes in this judgment. Christ constantly stands for His people and against their enemies. (This is why the court investigates the little horn and reaches its verdict at the battle of Armageddon.) In all three events, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Heb. 13:8). The accomplishment of Jesus on the cross is revealed throughout the subsequent history of salvation, including the investigative judgment. This is why the “hour of judgment” is part of the “everlasting gospel” (Rev. 14:6, 7). In this hour of judgment, our crucified Savior is “able to always save those who come to God through Him, being always alive to make intercession for them” (Heb. 7:25).

(1) Max Lucado. In the Eye of the Storm, Dallas: Word, 1991, pp. 35, 36.

(2) E. White. Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 540.

(3) William G. Johnsson. Issues in the Book of Hebrews, Frank B. Holbrook,

ed., Silver Spring, MD. : Biblical Research Institute, 1989, p. 90.

(4) For development of this topic, see: Norman R. Gulley. “Toward Understanding the Atonement” / Journal of the Adventist Theological Society 1, No. 1, Spring 1990, 57-89.

(5) Johnsson, p. 96.

(6) Ibid., pp. 112-114.

(7) Ibid., p. 99.

(8) Ibid., p. 184.

(9) George E. Rice op. in: Andrews University Seminary Studies 23, No. 1, 1985, 34, 35.

(10) Johnsson, p. 119.

(11) Ibid., p. 118.

(12) Ibid., p. 119.

(13) Ibid., p. 154. See p. 123-154. See also: Richard M. Davidson. Typology in Scripture.

(14) Johnsson, pp. 178, 179.

(15) Ibid., pp. 171-186.

(16) For example, in Heb. 2:1; 3:12, 15; 4:1, 7, 11, 14; 5:6, 12; 10:26, 35-37; 12:1-6, 12-16, 25; 13:1, 2, 7-17, 22.

(17) Heb. 6:9; 7:7, 19, 22; 8:6 (twice); 9:23; 10:34; 11:16, 35, 40; 12:24.

(18) R. C. H. Lenski. Hebrews, Minneapolis: Augsburg, 1966, pp. 350, 360.

(19) See: Richard M. Davidson. “Typology in the Book of Hebrews” / William G. Johnsson’s Issues in the Book of Hebrews, pp. 121-186.

(20) Bruce, p. xii.

(21) Johnsson, p. 184.

(22) Kenneth A. Strand. "The Eight Basic Visions in the Book of Revelation" / Andrews University Seminary Studies 25, No. 1, 1987, 107-121; “The ‘Victorious-Introduction’ Scenes in the Visions in the Book of Revelation” / Andrews University Seminary Studies 25, No. 3, 1987, 267-288.

(23) Gregory K. Beale. The Use of Daniel in Jewish Apocalyptic Literature and in the Revelation of St. John, New York: University Press of America, 1984, p. 247.

(24) It should be understood that the pre-advent battle begins before the Second Coming and culminates with the advent (Rev. 17-19).

(25) The unholy trinity of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet opposes the Trinity (Rev. 16:12-16; 19:11-20).

(26) Hans LaRondelle. Chariots of Salvation, pp. 67, 68.

(27) T. Longman III. "The Divine Warrior: Th New Testament Use of an Old Testament Motif / The Westminster Theological Journal 44, No. 2, 1982, 290-307; see p. 297.

(28) These are the other three angels from the 14th chapter of the Book of Revelation. They are tasked with carrying out judgment on Babylon while the three angels' messages (Rev. 14:6-13) are to gather the people from Babylon. Seven angels also come out of the temple with the seven last plagues (Rev. 15:5-8; 16:1, 17). According to Rev. 16:12, the river Euphrates dries up so that the way will be open for the kings of the East. Water symbolizes the nations (Rev. 17:15), and the kings of the East are either God the Father with Christ (Matt. 26:64, Rev. 6:16), coming from the East or from heaven (Rev. 7:2); or Christ and His angels approaching together (Rev. 19:11-16). Mervyn Maxwell supports the "Father-Son" view in God Cares (Mervyn Maxwell. God Cares, Mountain View, Calif.: Pacific Press, 1985, vol. 2, p. 443), and Hans Larondell supports the "Christ and angels" in "Chariots of Salvation", p. 119, 120.

(29) Revelation says that “all the earth marveled as it watched the beast” (Rev. 13:3), which implies a false prophet and a dragon (Rev. 16:13; 19:29).

(30) C. F. Keil and F. Delitzsch. Commentary on the OT, vol. 10, p. 252.

(31) Wed. Deut. 28: 36-64; 29:25-28.

(32) E. White. Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, p. 472.

(33) “The Angel of the Lord” (Zech. 3:1-3) is Michael from the Book of Daniel (Dan. 12:1) or Jesus Christ; Wed Jude 9; Open 12:7-11.

(34) Wed. with Ellen White's first vision, in which she saw that only those who kept their eyes on Jesus were on the path to heaven. Those who stopped looking to Him fell down into this world (Early Works, p. 14).

(35) E. White. Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, p. 472.

(36) All the inhabitants of heaven plus several representatives from people in heaven (Enoch, Elijah, Moses and the 24 elders of Revelation 4 and 5) are witnesses in the investigative court; all the redeemed follow the study during the millennium; all the lost watch the judgment after the millennium. Thus, all rational beings participate in evaluating God's judgments and find that God is just (Rev. 15:3). The question of God's justice, which was questioned in the great controversy, was finally answered.

(37) This includes trust not only in Calvary, but also in the ongoing mediatorial ministry of Christ as a result of the cross.

(38) If judgment were limited to the investigation of human affairs, and if the principle of Holy Scripture were applied: “by looking we are changed” (2 Cor. 3:18), then the millennial kingdom, which closely examines bad deeds, would be dangerous. I believe that the courts are more concerned with how Christ worked patiently for each person while each person rejected Him, and therefore the courts focus more on Christ than on people. Such examination is uplifting—it reveals more about the character of God than about the character of fallen men. Looking to the works of Christ will change us for the better, whereas immersion in the mire of human sin would have the opposite effect.

(39) Throughout all eternity, “both the redeemed children of the earth and the unfallen inhabitants of the worlds will find in the deed of Christ on the cross a source of wisdom and sing of it” (E. White. The Desire of Ages, pp. 19, 20). We will understand the greater depths of this gift and therefore receive great revelations of God's love, which combines justice and mercy. However, the 144,000 will “follow the Lamb wherever He goes” (Rev. 14:4), which apparently refers to their experience of life beyond the end of the probationary period, when they experienced spiritual and physical deliverance. Therefore, their song is beautiful - “the song of Moses and the Lamb - the song of deliverance. No one but one hundred and forty-four thousand could sing this song, for this song is about experiences that no one had but themselves” (E. White, The Great Controversy, p. 649). The next two pages later, the Great Controversy says, “The cross of Christ will be the subject of study and praise of the redeemed throughout all eternity” (p. 651). The Song of the Lamb (cross) has a verse called "the song of Moses and the Lamb." Experience 144,000 is the last accomplishment of the cross in human life during the investigative judgment and before the return of Christ.

(40) E. White. Early works, p. 14.