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"And the peoples will stream to it,
And many nations will come and say,
'Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD
And to the House of the God of Jacob. . . .'"
Micah 4:2
POSTMILLENNIALISM OR APOSTASY?
THE NEW TESTAMENT: THE TRIUMPH OF CATHOLICISM OVER JUDAISM
Most Christians today believe that the world is doomed. They
do not believe that their great-great-grandchildren (if any) will see the widespread shalom
of Christian Culture. Instead, they are preparing for world-wide apostasy and destruction.
This is not the message of the Bible. The Old Covenant ended in
failure, unbelief, and apostasy, but the New Covenant began with the conversion of
thousands.
In both the Old and New Testaments God gives His People
repeated promises that in the age of the Messiah great multitudes of people from every
continent, every culture, every tongue, would be regenerated by the Power of the Spirit
and would bring forth the Fruit of the Spirit. These
people would be reconciled to God, to each other, and a spill-over effect would encourage even the unregenerated to live at peace.
The "Good News" of the Gospel is the Spirit's promise
of World-Wide Reconciliation (Galatians 3:8). The Ministry of Reconciliation is backed by
God's promise (2 Corinthians 5:17-20).
The History of man, as infallibly recorded in the Old Testament, is the history of Pride and Racism. When we abandon hope in the Victory of God's Truth, we hope to see victory incarnated in ourselves or our group. Our consciences tell us that our rebellion is doomed, so we impute every evil to all other groups, hoping to bolster our self-esteem. We foster the "us-them" mentality, which leads to ugly forms of schism, racism, and disharmony. As the modern age unfolds, conflict and violence become the hallmark of secularism.
Over and over in the writings of the New Testament we see
the intense struggle between those who felt that God's Grace was limited to one national
or religious group, and those who (on the other hand) believed God's Prophets. Jesus
defended God's Universal Law against the legal fabrications of the Talmudists. The idea
that people from every race, language, and empire were invited to enter the Kingdom was
abhorrent to these pseudo-Hebrews, so-called defenders of Patriarchy, apostates and
elitists. The conflict between Christ and the Pharisees was a conflict over the authority
of the Scriptures. The Scriptures spoke emphatically of the inclusive triumph of the
Kingdom of God over the narrow and oppressive kingdoms of man.
Even today, "catholicism" brings to mind an
institution which throughout history has confiscated the Scriptures, obstructed their
translation into the languages of the people, and attempted to suppress the "good
news." The true "catholic" church does not believe
in ordained élites, but in a universal priesthood of all
believers (1 Peter 2:9).
When the Scripture proclaimed the Gospel to Abraham, it was
a Gospel of world-wide blessings. These blessings
are recorded for us in Deuteronomy 28:1-14. They include the tangible, physical effects of
reconciliation and forgiveness: diminished sickness (Proverbs 17:22), shelter for the
homeless (Psalm 68:6), lengthened life-spans (Isaiah 65:20-21; Ephesians 6:2-3), and
restored Edenic conditions throughout the earth. As
hearts are regenerated and relationships restored, the Kingdom flourishes in peace,
harmony, and prosperity.
The New Jerusalem replaces the Old Babylon.
How does Christ extend His Kingdom without the use of
political coercion or militaristic imperialism? How are radical social changes implemented
without violent revolution? How does Christ rule when He is not even here?
Simple: He is here (Matt. 28:18-20) and at the
Right Hand of God, where He has the Power to change the heart, so that without
shock therapy, intimidation, or political threats, people come to agree with God's Word
and to have a fervent desire to see justice, mercy, and faith cover the earth.
Unimaginable abundance and social harmony begin to unfurl as vast numbers of people from
every corner of the globe embrace the ideals of the Prince of Peace.
Personalism will -- in time -- bear fruit.
A Universal Christocracy is Rooted in Grace
The Christmas Conspiracy: Its World-Wide Spread
Other Resources on the Theme of Victory and True Catholicism
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