Bind the Strong Man First (Pt. 2)

In parts of the world today, and much of the ancient, during harvest wheat farmers pile up what was gathered. They would then throw it into the air where the wind would carry away the chaff (husk like material). The wheat would fall back down. After a long process the pile would be left with an abundance of wheat and the chaff removed.

My learning and thinking over some 20+ years has looked something like that. In childhood my parents, pastors (at times my dad), Sunday school teachers (my mom on several occasions), and other believers poured into my mind what they had learned…the good, the bad, …and yes even the ugly. As I moved on from childhood and began to think more for myself the pile of wheat and chaff (my learning) began to get sifted. New friendships developed with other believers who posed questions and ideas that were new to me, and made me think (a shovel full of wheat and chaff thrown in the air). As I gave time to consider these ideas more shovels full of my beliefs got thrown into the air. Over time my thoughts became convictions, convictions became guide rails. Over time, although my understanding on any given topic never reached perfection, it was certainly purged.

Such experiences of having our thoughts challenged is often uncomfortable at best and occasionally lead to restless nights of sleep in the intense moments. When a single question throws a wrench into a large portion of what you have believed for years it is unsettling. But it is in the conversation with a brother or sister who has given thoughtful consideration to the topic at hand, yet arrived at a different conclusion that removes our chaff or blind assumption or faulty thinking, and leads closer to a right conclusion.

In many areas of what I assumed growing up I have had the wearisome experience of being sifted. But the sifting goes on. And really every time we open the scriptures our beliefs are both sifted and sharpened. However, there are times when it is more intense than others.

My Journey

The topic of Christ’s 1,000 year reign was one that was first challenged in the office of Pastor Andy Wright. He over saw much of my ministerial training in the Timothy Pastoral Apprenticeship. One day he asked me: “What millennial view do you hold?” Millennial what? I was “post-tribulational”. Out of the only three options of “endtimes” views my parents raised me as “post-tribulational” (and since most people I met opposed that view, putting it in the minority, and position to stir up discussion…I fully embraced it…in name only. I couldn’t have written one paragraph about it). But not to seem to put the buck on my parents, all of the churches we attended discussed the three views: pre-tribulational, mid-tribulational, and post-tribulational (if you are new to these terms the links will take you to brief discussions on them). It was always assumed that these events preceded the 1,000 year reign of Christ. It was so strongly assumed that other views about the nature and timing of the 1,000 year reign were not even discussed. So when Pastor Andy asked me about my view on the 1,000 year reign I was kind of speechless.

The wheat and the chaff was about to get thrown into the air…intense at first, and slowly decreasing with occasional seasons of heightened thought…I know that when I’m done presenting my view on this topic some will comment that I still have a lot of chaff to remove from my thinking and beliefs:):) (Feel free to pose some questions in the comments).

A Word of Explanation

This is the second part to at least a four part series, so we may get to the end of this post with some loose ends to tie up, which may not be tied up until a following post. I will do my best to let you know of loose ends to be tied up later.

I’ll tilt my hand again as I did in the last post and say that I hold to a view known as Amillennial. What does that mean: I believe the the reign of Jesus spoken of in Revelation 20 is occurring now. Some of you just asked me through the screen: “Sean have you watched the news?!?.” I hear you. I will begin to unpack my answer over the course of this post and into the others. In short I can say that the Amillennial view not only sees the timing of Christ’s reign differently, but also the nature of it (compared to premillennialism: the belief that if the future Jesus will sit enthroned in the city of Jerusalem for 1,000 years). A helpful yet short introduction to this is Jay Adam’s: The Time is at Hand. I mention this now not to give a lengthy explanation on why (that will come later) but to help to clarify why some of my questions and thoughts may seem out of place or even incoherent. That is no disrespect to either side of the conversation. However, I am assuming that since the premillennial view is the popular perspective of the day, that a higher portion of my readers hold to that view in some way. If you have not been exposed to a different view it can almost sound like a different language…I’ve been there; I know.

I am going to do my utmost to bridge those gaps where I see them.

Finally, I do not write this to persuade argumentatively, and certainly not to disrespect another view or its followers. My hope is to propose ideas and questions which provoke thought. Remember, it is ok to reevaluate our convictions. If we pursue this with a love for the truth, humility, and logic we will not lose the biblical ground we already stand on. The only risk we have is uncovering our own misunderstandings, assumptions, or unexplored areas.

Colossians 2:15 & Hebrews 2:14

And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.”

Colossians 2:13-15

Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.”

Hebrews 2:14-15

An Attention Grabber

If we were to think of the reading of the New Testament as a road that led to Revelation 20 we would come across these two passages in our journey. These two passages (and others like it…see below) have forced me to ask the question: What happened to the devil upon Christ’s first coming? I began to speak to this in the previous post with Mark 3 and Luke 11. Those texts spoke more generally to Christ’s first coming as a whole. The two texts above are more narrow.

What continues to grab my attention about the above passages is how they both speak quite strongly to God’s “disarming” and “destroying” the devil along with his forces. What is clear is that these passages speak about the past not the future, and they speak about the cross. So again I ask myself: What happened to the devil upon Christ’s first coming?

I propose based on such texts (and Mark 3; Luke 11) we must give consideration to the possibility that a great blow was given Satan in the ministry, death, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Passages like these lead me to ask myself: Are the effects spoken of in Hebrews and Colossians the same that John speaks of in Revelation 20?

Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while.

Revelation 20:1-3

To that I must quickly add: Have you ever considered that the reign spoken of in Revelation 20 may not be speaking of the final stage of world history? The Amillennial train of thought proposes that the “binding” of Satan in Revelation 20 is not separate from Mark 3; Luke 11; Colossians 2; and Hebrews 2. I will explain in the next post or two my beliefs about Revelation 20 and why I believe it to be occurring now…I know some right now are thinking I have completely lost it…but please give me a chance in the next couple of posts to explain myself.

That aside I leave you with this question: Is it possible that the teaching of Revelation 20 is meant to be understood in light of what the New Testament has previously said? Are the earlier statements of the New Testament meant to inform our understanding of Revelation 20? As we make that journey through the New Testament we see all of these occasions in which Jesus is said to have destroyed, bound, and disarmed the devil in his first coming. When we get to the end of that journey, in Revelation 20, is it more natural to say: this is a completely different event than what Jesus and Paul spoke of OR to consider that maybe John is speaking of the same event in a different way?

What is NOT being Said

Quick word to clarify a common question: If Jesus is reigning now will he ever reign (literally) on this earth? A common misunderstanding about Amillennial theology is that by saying Jesus is reigning now (Psa. 110:1; Matt. 28:18; Eph. 1:21; Heb. 2:8) means there is no physical reign of Jesus on earth in the future. That is not at all the case. Above I mentioned how the Amillennial view not only sees the timing of Christ’s reign differently, but also the nature of it. There is the millennial reign occurring from Christ’s ascension until his return, yet upon his return he will reign on the earth in its new creation state of existence.

Two of Many

Colossians 2 and Hebrews 2 are 2 passages of many. From different angles throughout the New Testament we read about the current reign of Christ. It is seen in speaking of his power as well as the demise of Satan.

• Matthew 28:18, “And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”
• Ephesians 1:20-22, “…when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet…”
• Hebrews 2:8, “Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him.

Final Word

Based upon Matthew 28:18-20 the Christian lives out one of the foundational mandates to the follower of Christ based on the fact that Christ has “all authority…on earth” today.

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Matthew 28:18-20

How we live as families, function in society, fellowship as churches, and go forward in missions is founded on the truth that Jesus reigns now: all authority on earth. We may rightly read 28:19 as: “Therefore go and make disciples…”OR “Based on the fact that ALL authority in heaven AND on earth has been given to me, go make disciples…”

In the discipleship which occurs in marriage, in raising children; the discipleship that happens in church; the sending of missionaries…all of this functions correctly when we hold tightly the truth that Christ is enthroned at the right hand of God Almighty, and he is enthroned today with all authority.

The authority of Jesus on earth are the book ends to the great commission. We not only go based on the truth that he has authority, but we function on the go based on his power in us: “I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

I propose that evangelism will go forth with greater effect and zeal if we have a greater awareness of the authority of our Savior in the here and now. May God give us fuller clarity on the position of his Son so that we may worship and obey with greater fervor.