A major part of the doctrine of Premillennialism is the doctrine of the supposed “thousand year reign” of Christ upon this earth. The Premillennialist teaches that Christ will return at His second coming, establish a kingdom upon this earth, with Jerusalem as its capital, and there reign for a thousand years. Though there are many ways in which this doctrine can be refuted, it is interesting to note the dilemma they face when confronted with Scripture. In one particular instance, they face what could be called a “directional dilemma.” Paul wrote, “Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death” (1 Cor. 15:24-26). Notice the problems which the Premillennialist faces in these verses.

 

First, Christ will deliver up the kingdom to the Father (vs. 24). Paul states that, at the end of time, Christ will deliver the kingdom of God to the Father in Heaven. However, Premillennialism teaches that the kingdom is not yet in existence. According to them, Christ will bring the kingdom down to earth and there establish it. There is a very distinct contradiction between these two statements. It is not possible for Christ to both deliver the kingdom up and down at the same time! Yet, this is what one would have to believe in order to believe both Premillennialism and the Bible.

 

Second, Christ will put down all rule, power, and authority (vs. 24). This also causes major problems for this doctrine because they profess that Christ will set up all rule, power, and authority upon the earth. In doing so, He will exert His own earthly power by His kingdom and fight an earthly war against all that oppose Him. Paul, however, explicitly informs us that ALL earthly power, authority, and rule will be put down. This will not be done by Jesus moving to earth, but by Him moving man from the earth and delivering the kingdom to the Father, and the unrighteous to the place prepared for the devil and his angels (Matt. 25:41).

 

Third, Christ will reign until He has put all enemies under His feet (vs. 25-26). The literal idea here is to crush them, and the last to be destroyed will be death. Premillennialism struggles with this as well because when the kingdom is brought into being, death is not yet conquered, rather it is still over man. Therefore, according to them, there are still enemies to be defeated at the deliverance of the kingdom. But the Bible states that when the kingdom is delivered, all enemies will have been destroyed, death included.

It is obvious there is a great dilemma in the doctrine of Premillennialism, for in all three cases cited in 1 Corinthians 15 their doctrine is found going in the wrong direction! May we always “prove all things; hold fast that which is good” (1 Thess. 5:21), that our doctrines might always be backed by Scripture, not man’s ideas.