Plat de Resistance

            What is it about people and change? What is about people and the unknown? When really the unknown isn't all that “unknown.” The unknown is something more like we know, but we don’t like all the necessary steps between me and that. I mean, don’t get me wrong. I’m not totally callous to the issue. It isn't totally foreign to me merely because I’m the one on the other end advocating for that most dread of all things, change. No, please do not misunderstand. I’ve been on the “Forced to change” “Need to change” “I’m afraid of change” end of the stick myself. Yes, it’s true I do make a paycheck from resistance and it’s opposite; to some degree if it didn't exist then neither would I professionally. So, yes it is a bit of tangle for me; a “love/hate” sort of thing. But c’mon, it is the thorniest of thorns in my back side. If I could only somehow exist in alternate plain of reality where resistance was at least less resistant so when I encounter it I don't come off as bruised by the experience. Or if I somehow developed a neuromechanical device that I could implant in my limbic system allowing me to not feel the full of weight of resistance wrath then I would be much happier indeed.

            The long and short of it is, to really help I do have to allow some bruising of myself in order to help the other in their nastiest ways of being. For at the heart of resistance is fear and an absence of trust. Fear of being without protection, and absent in trust because change is facing the unknown. In order for the change to happen there must be a safety net of relationship in place. I have seen in my experience especially for the one trying to help, they must be willing to plumb the depths. Because the absent trust has thrust its victim deep, deep down into inner layers of self and isolation. Obstinately at this moment, as uncomfortable as a truth that this is, I am reminded of the protoevangelium- a ten cent term that refers to something further elaborated in Isaiah 53. THE Savior in order to save had to be hurt in the process. If I were smart, and took my cue from His example, I would realize this same principle applies to the everyday. All those “Little savings” require the bruising of the savior’s heel. I can’t help unless in my attempt to help I’ve allowed my heel to be bruised in the process. Then as the strongman C.S. Lewis described, can reach down into the depths carrying its prize with it to the sunlight.

Davidic Kingdom in New Testament

             As we can see throughout the narrative of the Old Testament the Davidic covenant played a central role. However, direct mention of or even teaching of it is remarkably absent in the New Testament. This yet, is not an indication of its lack of presence. It is in fact very present. Acts begins with the pre-ascension appearances and teaching of Jesus. It is likely based on the context of His teaching before the crucifixion and resurrection that Jesus spoke to the disciples about the Kingdom. There is also the record in Acts 1:6-8 of the discussion between Jesus and the Apostles about the restoration of Israel. That was not a work that God was going to bring about until the second coming of Christ. According to the parables of Jesus about the Kingdom, the Kingdom of God is going to build slowly through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, the establishment of Christ’s church and the inauguration of the New Covenant.

The relationship of the Davidic promises to the resurrection. God did promise to David that an heir of his would always sit on his throne. Jesus was that descendant of David, yet He died? So how was Jesus to be the eternal heir of David? And always sit upon His throne? The answer is the resurrection and ascension. Jesus died on the cross making atonement for all those who would believe in Him. And He also was resurrected by the power of God. Yet He did not resurrected as a ghost or trans-personal being, He resurrected as human being who ascended to the right hand of the Father in an eternal incarnation who will return and take His rightful place on David’s throne.

            The relationship of the Davidic promises to the Gentiles- Jesus came in fulfillment of the Abrahamic promise in Genesis 12:1-3. God promised that he would one day have an offspring that would bless the entire world. That descendant was the heir of David, root of Jesse, the rose of Sharon Jesus Christ. Through His work on the cross He made atonement for the entire world, “once and for all” (Rom. 6:5-11). The “once and for all” refers to all who believed in times past, present and future. The future includes Gentiles. As we can see Christ appeared before Paul and made him Apostle to the Gentiles, and even before that, in the Gospels Christ taught that the Gentiles would be one day welcomed into the family of faith. There are other references to Davidic promise in the Epistles and in Revelation. 

A-Mil, Pre-Mil, and Post-Mil- What's the Difference?

Revelation 20:4 has caused quite a bit of theological ruckus among theologians and Christians. The verse clearly indicates the saints resurrecting and reigning with Christ for a thousand years. Some disagree though if this verse is referring to a literal thousand years or a figurative thousand years, or they argue about when this thousand year reign is placed in the time frame of the last times] I’ll briefly distill each view below.

Amillenialism- The theologians in this camp reject the idea of a literal thousand years. They see the millennial Kingdom as something that is already present in the church age. It is interpreted as a symbolic period of time. They see this view as being consistent with the highly symbolic nature of the apocalyptic genre of the book of Revelation, sometimes indicating that the thousand years represent God's rule over his creation or the Church

            Postmillenialism- The theologians in this camp recognize the thousand year reign as literal, however they think Christ will return (second coming) after the thousand years is over. The thousand years will be a golden age for Christians when righteousness is practiced widely. They see Christ’s reign as physical and earthly during the millennial reign. In terms of the rapture, they typically tend to see it coming before (dispensational) or after (historic) the tribulation preceding the millennium.

            Premillenialism- The theologians in this camp believe in a literal thousand year reign, however, they see Christ’s return (second coming) happening first, then Christ is present throughout the thousand year reign. In terms of the rapture, the “Pre-mils” disagree with the “Post-mils” that Christ’s second coming will be before the Millennial Kingdom. Therefore the rapture would be after in conjunction with the Second Advent.