Peairtach
Puritan Board Doctor
In Revelation 20:1-3 we have a restraining of the enemy against God's people. In Ezekiel 36, we likewise have a restraining of the enemy against God's people.
In Revelation 20:4-6 we have a resurrection of God's people. In Ezekiel 37 we have a resurrection of God's people.
In Revelation 20:7-9 we have the loosing of Satan and his minions, referred to as Gog and Magog, against God's people. In Ezekiel 38:1-17 we have the attack of Gog and Magog on God's people.
In Revelation 20:9b - 20:10 we have the destruction of Satan and Gog and Magog. In Ezekiel 38:18- Ezekiel 39:29 we have the destruction of Gog and Magog.
Does the prosperity of God's people (the Israel of God) in the Land (that is the whole Earth, and not just Palestine, in this New Covenant era) tie in better with postmillennialism or amillennialism?
This thread has been prompted by Steve's response to a post of mine on this thread:-
http://www.puritanboard.com/f46/amillenialism-current-state-satan-66359/
Quote from Me
Quote from Steve Rafalsky
In Revelation 20:4-6 we have a resurrection of God's people. In Ezekiel 37 we have a resurrection of God's people.
In Revelation 20:7-9 we have the loosing of Satan and his minions, referred to as Gog and Magog, against God's people. In Ezekiel 38:1-17 we have the attack of Gog and Magog on God's people.
In Revelation 20:9b - 20:10 we have the destruction of Satan and Gog and Magog. In Ezekiel 38:18- Ezekiel 39:29 we have the destruction of Gog and Magog.
Does the prosperity of God's people (the Israel of God) in the Land (that is the whole Earth, and not just Palestine, in this New Covenant era) tie in better with postmillennialism or amillennialism?
This thread has been prompted by Steve's response to a post of mine on this thread:-
http://www.puritanboard.com/f46/amillenialism-current-state-satan-66359/
Quote from Me
Apostasies of various kinds associated with various parts of the world have happened in Church history down through the centuries?
Why would the current spiritual malaise in Western Europe and North America be the final release of Satan?
And [Satan] shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog, and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
Ezekiel 37-39, a passage that is a helpful expansion on Revelation 20, indicates that this apostasy will happen after Israel (i.e. the New Covenant Church) has been securely settled in her Land (i.e. the whole Earth) for a long period of time. This hasn't been the case in Church history so far. See e.g. Patrick Fairbairn's commentary on Ezekiel.
Quote from Steve Rafalsky
Richard,
Has not the church been peacefully settled – generally speaking – upon the earth for a long period? Yes, there has been persecution at times, but the nations as a conglomerate have not gone after her. Satan’s power to assemble a Gog and Magog force was taken from him at the inception of the church age / “1,000 years” (cf Rev 20:8; Ezek 38, 39), though that has long been his desire.
I think it is commonly accepted that more Christians have been killed in the 20th and 21st centuries than have been killed in all the prior centuries of the church age combined. Might that not lead one to think something awful is afoot in the crawling shadows of this world?