This study is occasioned by: 1) the ongoing debate about whether OT prophecies about the restoration of the nation of Israel and the restoration of Gentile nations are fulfilled in Christ and the Church in the present age – or in the future reign of the Messiah on earth; 2) the current debate about whether evangelicals should pursue societal reform as an aspect of the mission of the Church.
This paper will mainly assume that when interpreted according to authorial intent grammatical-historical hermeneutics, the only fair way to interpret OT and NT prophecies is that there will be a future reign of Jesus Christ on earth and that at the outset of that reign, Christ will restore the nation of Israel and Gentile nations. Some of the literature underlying this assumption is: O. Allis: “Prophecy and the Church”; D. Bock, ed.: “Three Views on the Millennium and Beyond”; K. Gentry: “He Shall Have Dominion: A Postmillennial Perspective”; A. McClain: “The Greatness of the Kingdom”; K. Riddlebarger: “A Case for Amillennialism”; M. Vlach: “He Will Reign Forever: A Biblical Theology of the Kingdom of God:” “Premillennialism: Why There Must Be a Future Earthly Kingdom of Jesus.”
This paper will propose that in His future earthly reign, Christ will restore the nation of Israel and Gentile nations with an exclusive formal evangelical religious and sociopolitical establishment in all nations so that people will be required and allowed to publicly worship only the Triune God, publicly teach people of all ages only evangelical doctrine, and practice and promote only revealed evangelical ethics. Some of the literature underlying this proposal is: R. Moore: “The Kingdom of Christ: A New Evangelical Perspective”; D. Scott: “Why Social Justice is Not Biblical Justice”; C. Blaising and D. Bock: “Progressive Dispensationalism”; J. Walvoord: “The Nations, Israel and the Church in Prophecy.”
First, there will be an overview of dispensational premillennial arguments for the future intermediate reign of Jesus Christ on earth, also referred to as “the Millennial Messianic kingdom.”
Second, exegesis of OT and NT prophecies will demonstrate the restoration of the nation of Israel and Gentile nations in the Millennial kingdom and the general exclusive evangelical religious establishment in all nations of the earth.
Third, based on exegesis of OT and NT prophecies, an inferred description of life on earth in the Millennial kingdom will be offered as evangelical in details of worship, evangelism, teaching doctrine, governance, and training in and daily practice of revealed ethical precepts and commands.
The paper will conclude with observing that Christians in the present age are not to seek an evangelical establishment in nations in the present age, but rather as the Church, the Body of Christ, live as people under Christ, worshiping only the Triune God, evangelizing people to invite them to repent and believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and demonstrating in daily living the purity, love, hope, and peace that should characterize all who now in their hearts submit to the reign of Jesus Christ.