*Editor’s Note: Below are questions submitted to Dr. Sam Waldron at an Eschatology Conference. Since these questions and answers could be helpful for a broader audience, we are posting them here as a series. Click the following numbers to read other parts of this series: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.
Could the “thousand year reign” be a form of the overlapping of the ages?
My answer to this question depends on what the questioner is assuming about “the thousand-year reign.” If an amillennial understanding of Revelation 20 and “the thousand-year reign” is assumed, the answer is a nuanced yes. For Amillennialism, “the thousand-year reign” is brought about by the events of Christ’s first advent and especially His resurrection, which brings about the gospel age and the things especially at its beginning which anticipate the age to come.
But I rather doubt that this is what the questioner is assuming. He is assuming the premillennial system and its interpretation of Revelation. In that case, my answer is a firm “no.” Let me explain why.
My chapter on this in The Doctrine of Last Things emphasizes that the language of the overlapping of the ages is an enhancement and enlargement of the map of the two ages. I put it this way because this must never be used to contradict or overthrow the Basic Scheme. This is exactly what a premillennial misuse of the overlapping of the ages does.
Think about it. The premillennial understanding of Revelation 20 requires un-resurrected men, who marry and are given in marriage, who die, and who live mixed together with resurrected sons of God. This is not optional to the premillennial system but necessary to every form of premillennialism. This is not an enlarged enhancement of the two ages but an absolute contradiction of the teaching of Luke 20:34-36. Remember what the Lord says so clearly here;
34 Jesus said to them, “The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage, 35 but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage; 36 for they cannot even die anymore, because they are like angels, and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.
This statement directly asserts (what is in many places confirmed in the New Testament) that in the age to come, there is no marrying and giving in marriage, no death, no natural men in an un-resurrected state, and no mixture of good and evil men, but only sons of God. All of this is absolutely in contradiction to the most basic requirements of any premillennial system.
No, the premillennial understanding of Revelation 20 cannot be a kind of overlapping of the ages. Such an understanding does not enlarge or enhance the basic scheme, but absolutely contradicts it.
Amillennialism fits the overlapping of the ages of the enhanced scheme without contradicting the basic scheme. Premillennialism does not.
In light of the “two age teaching,” please comment on Matthew 19:28?
Here is the passage under discussion with a little context:
28 And Jesus said to them, “Truly I say to you, that you who have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for My name’s sake, will receive many times as much, and will inherit eternal life.
Once more, I must guess a little about the meaning of this question, but here is my guess. My guess is that the questioner means by the two age teaching substantially the Amillennialism which I defend in light of it. I imagine this is the case because Matthew 19:28 is thought to require a premillennial and Jewish understanding of the millennium. A few comments may help the reader to discard the premillennial glasses through which they are accustomed to looking at this passage.
The timing of this prediction must be noted. It is “when the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne.” This event is clearly identified in the Gospel of Matthew as commencing with the return of Christ and the judgment of the world. Here is Matthew 25:31-32: “ 31 “But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. 32 “All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats …” The account of the judgment here described concludes with the eternal state. Matthew 25:46 is that conclusion: “These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” Thus, the sitting of the Son of Man on His glorious throne commences with His Second Coming and leads into the eternal state. Both in Matthew 19:28-29 and Matthew 25:31-46, it is connected with the gaining of eternal life.
The subject of this prediction must be noted. Jesus speaks of “the regeneration.” In Titus 3:5, this word speaks of what we normally think of when we hear this word—the new birth in which our salvation begins. This is, of course, not what Jesus means by it in Matthew 19:28. One lexicon defines the meaning here as follows: “the future as the restoration and renewal of the world new age.” I am convinced, however, that a further idea is intended by “the regeneration.” The mention of the apostles ruling over the 12 tribes of Israel conjures up thoughts of the Old Testament theocratic kingdom. This kingdom was overthrown by Babylon. Its restoration is predicted in many places. Daniel 2 and 7 are especially clear and important. Let me sum up. The regeneration speaks of the restored theocratic kingdom in a renewed world.
The recipients of this prediction must be noted. They are clearly the twelve apostles. This is crucial to understand because it begins to suggest the way in which this prophecy should be understood. Throughout the New Testament, the twelve apostles of Christ are pictured as the foundation of Christ’s church (Matt. 16:18; Eph. 2:20; Rev. 21:14). This correlates clearly with the language of their ruling in the prediction of Matthew 19:28.
All of which brings us to “the twelve tribes of Israel.” This is a reference to the church composed of the remnant of believing Jews and the Gentiles who are grafted into God’s Israel. The church is described in the New Testament as the true circumcision and the true Jewish race (Rom. 2:25-29; Phil. 3:1-3); the seed of Abraham (Gal. 3:29); the sons of promise (Rom. 9:6-8; Gal. 4:26-31); and finally as the Israel of God (Eph. 2:12-19; Gal. 6:15-16). There are even places in the Book of Revelation where the elect of God are pictured as composed of 144,000 from the twelve tribes of Israel. Revelation 7:4-9; 14:1-3). With all of this before us, it is not far-fetched at all to think of the twelve tribes of Israel in Matthew 19:28 as a picture of the church composed of the remnant of Jewish believers with the Gentile believer grafted into God’s olive tree, Israel (Rom. 11:16-24).
Dr. Sam Waldron is the Academic Dean of CBTS and professor of Systematic Theology. He is also one of the pastors of Grace Reformed Baptist Church in Owensboro, KY. Dr. Waldron received a B.A. from Cornerstone University, an M.Div. from Trinity Ministerial Academy, a Th.M. from Grand Rapids Theological Seminary, and a Ph.D. from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. From 1977 to 2001 he was a pastor of the Reformed Baptist Church of Grand Rapids, MI. Dr. Waldron is the author of numerous books including A Modern Exposition of the 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith, The End Times Made Simple, Baptist Roots in America, To Be Continued?, and MacArthur’s Millennial Manifesto: A Friendly Response.
