# Lehre und Wehre_St. Louis Missouri_October 1860_S312
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

312 The So-Called Millennial Kingdom.

1. The loosing of Satan and the general onslaught against the church
cannot possibly be placed in the time of the parousia of Christ. 2. Nowhere
in Scripture does the coming of Christ appear as a period; it is always a
moment. How swiftly matters proceed at that event is shown especially
by the phrase "in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye," in verse 52.
3. The parallel drawn between our passage and Apocalypse 20:4-6 is
inadmissible on this ground alone, that here the resurrection of all
believers is spoken of, whereas there only a portion of them is meant —
the faithful confessors who departed before the thousand years.

How little favorable 1 Corinthians 15 is to the chiliasts appears
still more plainly in verses 51-52. According to these the apostle knows
of only one resurrection, the one that occurs at the "last trump" (cf.
Matthew 24:31, cf. 25:31), and with which the transformation of the
living is bound up.

Besides 1 Corinthians 15, chiliasm seeks a foothold also in 1
Thessalonians 4:15. It does indeed say there: "And the dead in Christ
shall rise first," but a glance at the context shows that this does not
mean to teach a resurrection of the righteous before the general one.
"'First,'" says Lünemann, "stands in contrast to 'afterward' in verse 17,
and signifies that the first act of the reappearing Christ will be the
awakening of the Christian dead, upon which the catching up of the
living then follows as a second act." Far from lending support to
chiliasm, the passage instead serves rather to refute it. The apostle
wishes to comfort those who are grieved over those who have fallen
asleep. How would he point these to a resurrection on the last day, if
another one preceded it? The whole scene here, however, is that of the
last day. This is shown by the battle-cry, the voice of the archangel,
the trumpet. This is shown by the connection of the resurrection of the
dead with the transformation of the living. This is shown by the fact
that from that time on all the deceased and living Christians are with
the Lord always. Scenes such as that in Apocalypse 20:7ff. are no longer
conceivable there. It is evident that the apostle knows nothing at all
of any other resurrection than the one on the last day, and that he
proceeds from the view that until then the dead in Christ have not risen.

Thus it appears that the mention of the resurrection can afford no
support to chiliasm; rather, precisely at this point its untenability
comes plainly to light. Now the practical significance of this doctrine
is still praised. "This," one holds*) — "strengthens the weary hands and
confirms the feeble knees! Now life shall not end in fracture and
breaking off, but shall also have its crown. Now this same earth, which
has drunk the blood of Christ, shall also see his glory. Now this same
world, which has reviled his church, shall also see the wealth of his
church made manifest. Now, accordingly, nothing shall have happened
in vain on earth." But whoever

*) Flörke, p. 214.