The Apostolic Church, like most denominations, has a statement of faith.
In our statement of faith we have a section that reads, we believe in:
“The virgin birth, sinless life, atoning death, triumphant resurrection, ascension, and abiding intercession of our Lord Jesus Christ; His second coming, and millennial reign upon earth.”
That’s a lot of Christology, soteriology, and eschatology squeezed into one small paragraph!
There’s one aspect I’d like to draw attention to.
“His second coming, and millennial reign upon earth.”
ACUK, like the other mainstream Pentecostal denominations, (and all mainstream denominations) has reference to the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Unlike AoG and Elim, ACUK specifically mention “the millennial reign.”
However, it doesn’t mention what it means by this. Arguably all eschatological views believe in the millennial reign, but all understand it differently. Some see it symbolically, some see it literally.
In order to understand how ACUK and indeed other Pentecostal denominations understood the millennial reign, we need to understand their history.
Whilst most denominations have moved on from the time periods when their creeds were first formed, it is their history that helps us understand how their creeds were meant to be understood.
The Pentecostal churches, much like the Brethren churches were premillenialist. So when the ACUK tenets speak of “the millennial reign” the assumption was that this was understood in a premillenialist (and a dispensationalist) sense.
We only need to look to the denomination’s early systematic theology to see this.
W.A.C. Rowe’s ‘One Lord, One Faith’ shows us the early ACUK position on the second coming.
“We take one further step and assert that the Second Advent is PRE-MILLENNIAL. There is widespread belief amongst nominal Christians that, under the influence of religious teaching, Christendom will be extended gradually until the whole world comes under the sway of God. And that then, in the far dim and distant future. in some unpredictable and nebulous manner Christ will come and take control. In other words, man is going to get better and better until the crowning day. This is but a development of the teaching of evolution, which the Bible does not countenance. To the contrary, the Word clearly tells us that the world will get worse and worse (II Timothy 3: 1-5). Indeed, the Lord asks concerning Himself and His coming,
“Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18: 8). However, the Scriptures do give a magnificent outline of a period of peace, prosperity and Godliness that shall envelop the whole earth, when Satan shall be chained (Revelation 20: 1-2): a time when ” the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea” (Isaiah 11: 9).
The length of this time, during which Christ reigns over all the world is a thousand years (Revelation 20: 2-6) and is termed the ” Millennium.” While we do not believe in date-fixing for the Second Advent (Matthew 24: 36) we are sure that the order of events is made plain and that the signs of the times already predicted do narrow down and define a focal period of inspired expectation.
Divine intervention is imperative; the forces of mass destruction are balanced precariously; international leaders are breathless in apprehension.
The world has largely forgotten God and the
realities of spiritual life and worship.
They are chasing an elusive
“will-o’-the-wisp” of selfish satisfaction in seeking material prosperity, worldly pleasures, pomp and power. Into this condition of affairs the Lord Jesus Christ will appear in power and glory (Revelation
19: 11-16) to set up His earthly Kingdom.
The Second Coming is also TRANSITIONAL. This grand happening is the bridge which links two great periods-the Dispensation of Grace and of the Kingdom. During this brief span, and connected with the Advent itself in this transition period, there are a number of occurrences. There is ceaseless activity in heaven and on earth. In the former there is the preparation for and the full manifestation of Christ: on the latter Satan moves in the hearts of men and the “world-system” to the consummation of evil.
Concurrently there is an “apocalypse” of Christ and His glory and of the Devil and his wickedness, with the ultimate overwhelming glory and victory of the Son of Man in a blazing triumph (Jude 14, 15). The whole time of Advent activity includes the royal assemblage and translation of the saints (I Thessalonians 4: 14-17); the judgment seat of Christ (II Corinthians 5: 10); the battle of Armageddon (Revelation 16: 16); the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19: 9); the judgment of the living nations (Matthew 25: 32); the setting up of the Throne of David and re-establishment of Israel in the fulness of divine promise (Isaiah 9: 7). It appears that the whole movement of the Second Coming progresses in precise and orderly stages. Our Lord’s appearing falls into two main divisions the first, secret: the second, public. The redeemed are caught up to meet Him in the air in secret rapture (1 Thessalonians While later the Lord will again come right down to the
earth with His saints in public revelation (I Thessalonians 3 : 13).
Therefore, we can state that the coming is REGAL. Listen to the clarion note of the prophet,
“And the Lord shall be king over all
the earth: in that day shall there be one Lord and His name one” (Zechariah 14: 9). Furthermore,
“He hath on His vesture and
on His thigh a name written KING OF KINGS
3, AND LORD UP
LORDS” (Revelation 19: 16). With Antichrist and his armies defeated and Satan bound, Christ will reign over all the earth in regal splendour. The once despised Christ, sorrowing and rejected (Isaiah 53: 3) now unleashes the brilliance of His eternal majesty, which far exceeds the radiance of the Mount of Transfiguration (Mark 9: 2-3), or the effulgence seen on the Damascene road (Acts behold His glory (John 17: 24) and to be seated with Him on the Throne (Revelation 20: 4).
To conclude, the second Advent will be JUDICIAL. Let there be no mistake, despite the apparently contrary appearances, the day of justice and judgment is approaching (Acts 17: 31). There are a number of judgments.
Three of these are outstanding: the great
white throne judgment of Revelation 20: 11-15 and which relates to the unbelieving dead and to an occasion after the Millennium; the judgment seat for believers and the judgment of the nations then living.
Obviously, the two latter are swept into our subject.
The nations at the time of the Lord’s return to earth will be judged pre-eminently according to their attitude and conduct towards the Jews.
They have endured centuries of suffering and torture, which in the last analysis, has been their penalty for the rejection and crucifixion of the Messiah.
Yet, God will not hold the oppressors
guiltless (see Revelation 19: 17-21). Following the secret rapture in the air, and in heaven before Christ’s return, the redeemed “…
Must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ…
” Here it is not our standing in Christ that is in question; but our state: not our salvation; but our service; not our destiny; but our deeds.
In view of the judicial character of the Second Advent saints have the great incentive of not only loving the Lord (I Thessalonians 1: and and longing for His coming (I Thessalonians 1: 10); but to prepare themselves by yielding to the work of the Great Refiner (Malachi 3: 3) so that they may meet their Lord with joy and not with shame.
With this hope burning in our hearts, let us fulfil the exhortation
“Look up… for your redemption draweth nigh” (Luke 21: 28).”
The reality is, in contrast to the early stages of our churches’ development, today we are mostly functional eschatological agnostics. The old cliche about being a “pan millennialist” (yes I’ve said it too) is perhaps a deflection tactic to avoid the hard work of thinking Biblically about a subject that can be controversial, sensationalist and confusing!
None the less, we are called to rightly divide the Word of Truth. Not least because of the times we are living in.
What we think about the End Times matters. The Apostles thought so. The OT prophets thought so. And the early founders of our denominations thought so. Maybe they knew something we have have over looked?
Rev John James 