"My kingdom is not of this world...[yet?]" - Q For Premil

[Unique Name]

I know every system has it's flaws. But I am curious how my premil brothers interpret Jesus in this passage. My guess is that you think He is simply saying his kingdom (spatial-temporal & political), is simply not brought to earth yet, or He means it's just not corrupt like human "kingdoms" are corrupt? My personal take is that He means His kingdom is indeed heavenly, and it will be consummated in the NH & NE.

Respectfully,

Your brother in Christ

 

[W.C. Dean]

Personally I am not a premillenarian although I do have sympathies for it. On first look my answer (if I was premil) would be that when Christ comes back to rule the world and initiate the millennium the world will no longer "be of the world". Being of the world is hopelessly corrupt. With Christ breaking the lawless rulers down and fully submitting the world to himself the world will no longer be corrupt.

@Pilgrim can help.

 

[Taylor]

As an exegetical point, while most English translations render this statement as "not of this world," a better rendering, in my estimation, would be "not from this world." The Greek preposition there is έκ, which BDAG marks as a "marker denoting origin."

 

[W.C. Dean]

As an exegetical point, while most English translations render this statement as "not of this world," a better rendering, in my estimation, would be "not from this world." The Greek preposition there is έκ, which BDAG marks as a "marker denoting origin."

Then there is, in this Scripture, no threat to premillenarian ideas. Christ's kingdom during the millennium would certainly not originate from the world.

 

[Susan777]

Premillennialism just doesn’t make sense to me. There is this present Age and the Age to come. When He comes He will judge the quick and the dead but His kingdom won’t be for 1000 years but rather, forever!

 

[RamistThomist]

I know every system has it's flaws. But I am curious how my premil brothers interpret Jesus in this passage. My guess is that you think He is simply saying his kingdom (spatial-temporal & political), is simply not brought to earth yet, or He means it's just not corrupt like human "kingdoms" are corrupt? My personal take is that He means His kingdom is indeed heavenly, and it will be consummated in the NH & NE.

Respectfully,

Your brother in Christ

While I am leaning more towards futuristic coming-showdown-with-Antichrist Amil, a Premil can agree with everything in your statement.

 

[RamistThomist]

Premillennialism just doesn’t make sense to me. There is this present Age and the Age to come. When He comes He will judge the quick and the dead but His kingdom won’t be for 1000 years but rather, forever!

Premils don't say that the kingdom only lasts a thousand years. The thousand years is for the powers in heaven to be bound for a long time, per Isaiah. The ultimate consummation is NH/NE

 

[Susan777]

I know they don’t think the KOG only lasts 1000 years. My comment was badly worded. But they do believe that the final judgment must await a literal thousand year earthly rule with Jesus in a temple inJerusalem with memorial sacrifices of animals and other OT provisions. Is this what they believe or is this a caricature of their position?

 

[RamistThomist]

I know they don’t think the KOG only lasts 1000 years. My comment was badly worded. But they do believe that the final judgment must await a literal thousand year earthly rule with Jesus in a temple inJerusalem with memorial sacrifices of animals and other OT provisions. Is this what they believe or is this a caricature of their position?

THat's what old-school Dispensationalists believe. Most historic premils don't believe that.

 

[Wretched Man]

THat's what old-school Dispensationalists believe. Most historic premils don't believe that.

That’s news to me... I thought all premils (and even postmils) assume a literal 1,000 year period...

 

[Taylor]

That’s news to me... I thought all premils (and even postmils) assume a literal 1,000 year period...

I believe @BayouHuguenot was saying that Dispensational premillennial folks believe "that the final judgment must await a literal thousand year earthly rule with Jesus in a temple in Jerusalem with memorial sacrifices of animals and other OT provisions." He was saying that the underlined part is what is distinctive about Dispensationalism.

Also, I don't think postmillennial folks for the most part affirm a literal thousand years. Some might, but I would imagine that most do not.

 

[RamistThomist]

That’s news to me... I thought all premils (and even postmils) assume a literal 1,000 year period...

I was talking about sacrifices.

 

[jwithnell]

Back to the OP, perhaps you can help me understand how this passage relates to a millennial age? Assuming you mean John 18, the passage recounts Jesus' trial and squarely addresses Pilate's fear (fomented by civil and religious accusers) that he was a threat to Roman authority. Your (yet) is rather a matter of eisegesis no?

A central question, even to his faithful followers evolved around the question of whether or not Jesus came to establish a kingdom recognizable by earthly standards -- a king, throne, armies, borders. For many this remained a question even at Jesus' ascension when his followers were asking if he was about to restore Israel's kingdom. You can almost hear the exasperation in Acts 1:8; "... you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." His kingdom is not of this earth.