Charles H. Spurgeon and Eschatology:

Did He Have a Discernible Millennial Position?

by Dennis Michael Swanson

Introduction

Introduction

In the discussion of the various aspects of systematic theology, perhaps none has seen more ink spilt in the last 100 years than eschatology. Those who have "specialized" in this field are well-known and equally well- published; however, when the discussion of eschatology comes up, the name of one of the most published Christians in the history of the church1, Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892), is seldom mentioned. There are, of course, many reasons for this, not the least of which was Spurgeon's own lack of emphasis on the subject in his own ministry, as was common in his day.

Given Spurgeon's notoriety and the volume of his writings, it is perhaps no wonder that almost every advocate of an eschatological viewpoint has attempted to bolster their position by appealing to Spurgeon as "being in their camp." A brief sampling of conclusions will serve to illustrate this point. Lewis A. Drummond states in his excellent biography, "Spurgeon confessed to be a pre- millennialist."2 Peter Masters, currently pastor of Spurgeon's church, The Metropolitan Tabernacle in London, stated, "If Spurgeon had lived in this century it is unlikely that he would have used the term 'millennium' to describe the first phase of the eternal glory. Certainly he would have stood much closer to amillennialism than to either of the other scenarios recognized today,"3 Erroll Hulse in his book, The Restoration of Israel, firmly declared Spurgeon to be postmillennial.4 So widespread is the effort to attach Spurgeon's name to particular prophetic systems that even the newest tribulational/rapture formulation within the dispensational camp, known as "The Pre- Wrath Rapture," calls on him for support. Robert Van Kampen states in his work The Sign, "Charles Haddon Spurgeon was not known to be one who wrote extensively on the end times. But what he did say perfectly parallels the sequence of events presented in this book."5

Obviously Spurgeon could not have held all of these positions. But, which position, if any, did he believe? Can it be determined? And why is there this degree of confusion on the subject? These are the questions that this thesis will attempt to answer. The issue is an important one, as Spurgeon continues to be one of the most popular Christian authors in print, even a century after his death. Men of different positions, whether honestly or otherwise, seek to marshal support for their own prophetic interpretations by appealing to Spurgeon for support. This is a practice that he would have certainly denounced. Commenting on the issue of "Spurgeonism," a phenomena of his own day, he stated:

There is no word in the world so hateful to our heart as that word Spurgeonism, and no thought further from our soul than that of forming a new sect. . .We preach no new gospel, we desire no new objects, and follow them in no novel spirit. We love Christ better than a sect, and truth better than a party, and so far are not denominational, but we are in open union with the Baptists for the very reason that we cannot endure isolation. He who searches all hearts knows that our aim and object is not to gather a band around self, but to unite a company around the savior [sic]. "Let my name perish, but let Christ's name last for ever," said George Whitefield, and so has Charles Spurgeon said a hundred times.6

The purpose of this thesis is to clarify Spurgeon's view on the millennium by a careful examination of his own writings, in the light of his own times. Ideally, all students of prophecy would examine the prophetic Scriptures themselves and form their own opinions based on solid exegetical study of the text of God's Word; "the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints" (Jude 3b). There should be a reliance on the works of others as guides and help, without committing what D. A. Carson calls the logical fallacy of "simplistic appeals to authority."7 Carson explains this fallacy in the following manner:

Such appeals can be to distinguished scholars, revered pastors, cherished authors, the majority, or various others. The fallacy lies in thinking that appeals to authority constitute reasons for interpreting texts a certain way; but in fact unless the authority's reasons are given, the only thing that such appeals establish is that the writer is under the influence of the relevant authority! The most such an appeal can contribute to an argument is to lend the authority's general reputation to its support; but that is not so much a reasoned defense or explanation as a kind of academic character reference.8

This author's desire in this thesis is twofold: (1) That the uninformed will come to understand Spurgeon and his millennial view as clearly as possible, and, (2) that the misuse of his stature and the misinterpretation of his works will be diminished, at least on this issue.

Because of his stature and continued influence, any study of Spurgeon's theological views is valid. As John Brown has stated, "He is worthy of prolonged and careful study on the part of any preacher."9 It is significant that while there have been several short articles on the subject of Spurgeon and the millennium, there is not any major study or dissertation quality work on this important topic.

W. Y. Fullerton, Spurgeon's personal assistant, editor, and biographer, perhaps understood the content and value of Spurgeon's works more than most. He noted, "the wise preacher or writer on religious subjects will do well if, after mapping out his own course, he sees what Spurgeon has to say about it."10 This present work seeks to throw fresh light on Spurgeon's significant contribution to prophetic studies and to inspire future study in this important area.

Thesis

This thesis will seek to demonstrate that Spurgeon did in fact hold a clear millennial position. This position will be seen as consistently held and expounded throughout his ministry, although Spurgeon will refine the expression of it with the maturing of his ministry. In presenting this thesis the author will also seek to demonstrate that Spurgeon's view of eschatology in relation to the millennium is best described as a "historic or covenantal premillennial" position.

Problem Posed in the Study

The key "problem" in this study is the sheer volume of material with which one must deal. As one examines the Spurgeonic literary legacy, there is almost despair of ever being able to process all the information. Also, because the bulk of Spurgeon's material is sermonic in nature (over 3,500 individual sermons!), most students of Spurgeon tend to major on that primary source to the exclusion of his other works. While his sermons are the main source of information about his theological system, Spurgeon also wrote in many different forums: college addresses, lectures and a monthly magazine, and particularly two commentaries; one on the Psalms (The Treasury of David) and the other on the Gospel of Matthew (Matthew: The Gospel of the Kingdom), being only a few.11 This thesis attempts to examine all avenues of Spurgeon's material, wherever he touched primarily or tangentially on the subject of eschatology in general or the millennium in particular.

Plan for this Study

The outline for this thesis will be as follows: Chapter One will begin with an examination of Spurgeon's life and ministry and the influences that shaped his theological thinking. This will be followed by an examination of the various millennial positions as they would have been understood in both Spurgeon's day and the definitions commonly accepted in the 20th Century. Chapter Two will examine the content of Spurgeon's writings as they touch upon prophetic and particularly millennial themes. Chapter Three will examine the varying millennial views against Spurgeon's statements, also commenting on authors whom have attempted to classify Spurgeon in the different positions. In the Conclusion, all of the points will be revisited and summarized with again the final conclusion being that Charles Spurgeon held to a historic or covenantal premillennial position on the millennial kingdom.

1 Introductory Matters

Introduction

In dealing with a subject such as Spurgeon and Eschatology, it is vital that some issues of introduction be covered first. A basic survey of the life and ministry of Spurgeon would also be helpful. Furthermore, an understanding of the basic tenets of the various eschatological schemes, as they were understood in Spurgeon's own day; is absolutely necessary before one can begin an examination of Spurgeon's teachings in this area. To complete this study there also needs to be a clarification of eschatological positions as understood today as they relate to those of Spurgeon's day.

Part One: An Overview of Spurgeon's Life

Charles Haddon Spurgeon has been called both the "Heir of the Puritans"12 and the "Father of Fundamentalism."13 The influence of his ministry is still felt today through the enormous amount of sermonic material and varied writings he left behind. There are numerous biographies on Spurgeon in print.14 One publishing company exists almost exclusively on the basis of reprinting Spurgeon's writings and material about him.15 As one of his biographers keenly observed the life and ministry of Spurgeon, "contains so much that is strange, unusual, wonderful, and even truly miraculous, that it will require most careful statement and most conservative reasoning to convince the reader that the record is literally true."16

Section A: His Upbringing and Early Education
Charles Haddon Spurgeon was born on June 19, 1834 in Kelvedon, Essex. He was one of eight children17 and shortly after his birth his father moved the family to Colchester. He came from a long line of "dissenters", that is, those who rejected the Church of England and the Act of Uniformity of 1662.18 His grandfather and father were independent ministers. His grandfather, James Spurgeon (1776-1864) was a noted Congregational pastor in Stambourne, where he ministered for 54 years.
When he was only 14 months old Spurgeon went to live with his grandparents, with whom he resided for nearly four years. During this time Spurgeon was cared for mostly by his 17 year old aunt, Ann. As Drummond states, the reason for this move "remains obscure."19 Most likely the reason was financial, as well as the arrival of additional children. Neither Spurgeon in his autobiography20 nor the comprehensive biography by G. Holden Pike21 give any mention of the reasons for this situation. Pike, in dealing with the event, simply quotes Spurgeon's father as saying:

It has been said that Charles was brought up by his grandfather and grandmother. The fact is, that my father and mother came to see us when Charles was a baby of fourteen months old. They took him to stay with them, and he remained with them until he was between four and five years of age. Then he came home to stay with us at Colchester, where I was then residing, at the same time carrying on my ministerial work at Tollesbury, some miles distant. Afterwards he often went to spend his holidays with his grandparents, who were very fond of him.22

For whatever reason, the relationship and influence of his grandfather was an extremely significant factor in the life of young Charles.

Spurgeon developed a love for books at a very early age. His grandfather's manse had a large collection of Puritan works and under his aunt's tutelage, he learned to read mainly out of these tomes. From the ages of 10 to 15 Spurgeon attended two different schools: The Stockwell House School and St. Augustine's Agricultural College. He showed a good deal of skill in learning, reading voraciously and possessing a remarkable memory.23 He had a good mind for mathematics and while at St. Augustine's, "his uncle [the school's principal] recognized his mathematical ability and allowed him to make a set of calculations that proved of such benefit that a London insurance firm used them for half a century or more."24

By the time Spurgeon was 15 his formal education had practically come to an end. He was an "usher"25 for two years at Newmarket in Cambridgeshire, but he would never pursue a university education.26 Nonetheless, Spurgeon went on to become a remarkably accomplished theologian and Biblical scholar. Southern Baptist pastor, B. H. Carroll stated of Spurgeon's sermons, that if arranged topically, "they would constitute a complete body of systematic theology."27 He was largely self-taught and as Dallimore states, "The extent of his reading was utterly amazing for one so young, and in the works of his favorite authors —the Puritan theologians— he was especially versed."28 At this tender age of 15 he wrote a 17 chapter, 290 page work entitled, Anti-Christ and Her Brood; Or Popery Unmasked, which won an honorable mention in an essay contest in Nottingham.29

Throughout his life Spurgeon remained largely self-taught, reading on a wide scale in many of the disciplines, especially history and the natural sciences. He became well-rounded to the point that during his ministry in London he gave what he called, "lectures" on various subjects, including several on the emerging works of Charles Darwin and evolution.

Section B: The Theological Influences in His Life
The most important theological influence in Spurgeon's life was clearly that of his grandfather. While living at Stambourne, Charles would spend hours in the manse library, at first looking at the wood-cut pictures in Foxe's Book of Martyrs and Pilgrim's Progress, then reading the works of Sibbes, Bunyan, Owen, Boston, Matthew Henry and the other Puritan stalwarts. If Charles Spurgeon is the "Heir of the Puritans,"30 then his grandfather was likely the "last of the Puritans." As Pike states:

James Spurgeon seemed to live as one of the last representatives of the Old Dissent. . . The venerable pastor of Stambourne was one of the last connecting links between the old times and the new. During his long life of nearly ninety years, what changes had time brought about in the world! In James Spurgeon's days of childhood Dr. Johnson still ruled as the autocrat of London literary society; the establishment of the republic of the United States and the French Revolution were events of his youth; and he was in the early years of his pastorate when Napoleon was extinguished by Wellington at Waterloo. As a man and as a pastor, the Stambourne veteran belonged to the older world of the Georges into which he had been born; and it is probable that he had little or no sympathy with the innovations and modern methods of doing things which he lived to see introduced.31

In all of this Charles learned two things from his grandfather, a love for the Puritans and their theology, and a pastor's heart. Charles would often sit in his grandfather's study while he prepared his messages or engaged in theological discussions with church members or visiting ministers. There is a rather famous story of a six year old Charles going to a "public house," what Americans would call a tavern or a bar, to confront a "backsliding" member of his grandfather's congregation by the name of Thomas Roads. He rebuked the man in full view of all the other patrons and then simply walked out. Roads left the bar, went to pray and ask God's forgiveness and then made things right with his pastor!32

Years later, when Charles Spurgeon was a famous young pastor in London, his grandfather was still ministering faithfully in Stambourne. In an example of how their preaching styles and theology were fitted so well together, Drummond records this incident:

Spurgeon enjoyed telling the story of one day traveling to Haverhill to preach. Because of unforeseen circumstances, he arrived late. So his grandfather, who attended the service, began the worship and preached on the text: "By grace you are saved" (Ephesians 2:8). Somewhat into the message, Charles Spurgeon, now the distinguished grandson, entered the chapel. "Here comes my grandson," James explained, "He can preach the gospel better than I can, but you cannot preach a better gospel, can you Charles?" Briskly walking up the aisle, Charles replied, 'You preach better than I, pray go on." Grandfather James refused, but he told him his text and explained that he had shown the people that the source of salvation is grace. Charles took up from that point and preached the rest of the verse: "And that not of yourselves." He set forth the total inability of people to come to Christ on their own. His grandfather interrupted right in the heart of Charles' discourse, "I know most about that" [and apparently carried on the sermon for a few minutes]. Spurgeon preached while his grandfather said quietly, "Good, good." Finally the old man burst out, "Tell them about that again, Charles."33

Charles Spurgeon was also influenced by his teacher at Stockwell House, Mr. E. S. Leeding. Spurgeon said of Leeding:

He was a teacher who really taught his pupils; and by his diligent skill I gained the foundation upon which I built in after years. He left Colchester to open a school of his own in Cambridge, and I to go, first to Maidstone, and then to New market for some two years. Then we came together again; for I joined him at Cambridge to assist in his school, and in return to be helped in my studies. He has left on record that he did not think that there was need for me to go to any of the Dissenting Colleges, since I had mastered most of the subjects studied therein; and his impression that I might, while with him, have readily passed through the University if the pulpit had not come in the way.34

Spurgeon began with the Puritans and really ended there. Regarding this Bacon stated:

Charles Haddon Spurgeon was completely moulded and fashioned by those spiritual giants of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, the Puritans. He stood in their noble tradition, in the direct line of their theology and outlook, and can without question be called The Heir of the Puritans.35

Jay Adams, in evaluating the impact of Spurgeon's preaching said this regarding the scope of his learning:

One fact that even the most casual student of Spurgeon recognizes is his complete mastery of and intimate familiarity with the best preachers and religious authors prior to his time. In his day, he was probably the most able student of Puritan literature.36

Adams goes on to point out that Spurgeon was, "no slave to the Puritans, he milked them dry, but he made his own butter."37

One critic of Spurgeon has well observed his persistent stand for truth: "Here is a man who has not moved an inch forward in all his ministry, and at the close of the nineteenth century is teaching the theology of the first century."38 Spurgeon saw this as the supreme complement instead of the severe criticism as it was intended. To Spurgeon, the evangelical Calvinism of the Puritans was the very essence of Biblical Christianity.39 This was a foundational theme in his sermons, and he presented Calvinism on a clear and consistent basis. In 1856, the first year of his ministry at New Park Street Chapel, he stated:40

I have my own private opinion that there is no such thing as preaching Christ and him crucified, unless you preach what now-a-days is called Calvinism. I have my own ideas, and those I always state boldly. It is a nickname to call it Calvinism; Calvinism is the gospel, and nothing else.41

Towards the end of his ministry in 1881 (46 volumes of sermons later) he stated, "We hold and assert again and again that the truth which Calvin preached was the very truth which the apostle Paul had long before written in his inspired epistles, and which is most clearly revealed in the discourses of our blessed Lord himself."42 Spurgeon was consistent in his theology throughout his ministry. He may have refined the expression of his beliefs, but as to the foundation and content, his critic was correct.

Section C: The Theme and Achievements of His Ministry
The ministry of Spurgeon was centered around the preaching of Christ and the doctrines of grace. He said:

Jesus is The Truth. We believe in Him, —not merely in His words. He is the Doctor and the Doctrine, Revealer and Revelation, the Illuminator and the Light of Men. He is exalted in every word of truth, because he is its sum and substance. He sits above the gospel, like a prince on his own throne. Doctrine is most precious when we see it distilling from his lips and embodied in his person. Sermons are valuable in proportion as they speak of him and point to him. A Christless gospel is no gospel at all and a Christless discourse is the cause of merriment to devils.43

The cornerstone of Spurgeon's ministry was the preaching of "Christ and Him Crucified." An emblem containing that verse was the symbol of Spurgeon's ministry.44 Although his preaching has not always been viewed as expository, and his exegesis described as "difficult,"45 his commitment to biblical content and a consistent presentation of evangelical theology in that preaching, set him apart as the "Whitefield of Victorian England."46 Speaking on the subject of sermonic content he told his students:

Sermons should have real teaching in them, and their doctrine should be solid, substantial and abundant. We do not enter the pulpit to talk for talk's sake; we have instructions to convey important to the last degree, and we cannot afford to utter pretty nothings. . . To divide a sermon well may be a very useful art, but how if there is nothing to divide? A mere division maker is like an excellent carver with an empty dish before him. . . Nothing can compensate for the absence of teaching; all the rhetoric in the world is but as chaff to the wheat in contrast to the gospel of our salvation.47

The contemporary writers also noted the power and passion of his preaching. One writer stated this about Spurgeon's preaching:

How thoroughly English, vernacular: scarce a Latinized or Greek borrowed term. Is it any wonder with this, and with the rich, full, old doctrine of the Puritan age —election defended, asserted, sovereign grace vindicated and glorified; Christ set forth as crucified and slain, pictures, anecdotes— that, in spite of extravagance and much of self, the common people hear him gladly.48

Throughout his ministry, in his voluminous writing and preaching, there is no aspect of systematic, Biblical, or practical theology that he did not touch on. The main thrust of his ministry was always to preach "Christ and Him crucified." It is interesting to note here that Spurgeon was well aware of the issues of the day involving eschatology and the millennium; but he did not view those matters as important as the issues of salvation. He repeated this often throughout his long ministry. Preaching on the subject of the "Second Advent" at The Metropolitan Tabernacle in December of 1884, he stated this:

Some Christians are very curious, but not obedient. Plain precepts are neglected, but difficult problems they seek to solve. I remember one who used to be dwelling upon the vials and seals and trumpets. He was great at apocalyptic symbols; but he had seven children, and he had no family prayer. If he had left the vials and trumpets and minded his boys and girls, it would have been a deal better. I have known men marvelously great upon Daniel and specially instructed in Ezekiel, but singularly forgetful of the twentieth of Exodus, and not very clear upon Romans the eighth. I do not speak with any blame of such folks for studying Daniel and Ezekiel, but quite the reverse; yet I wish they had been more zealous for the conversion of sinners in their neighborhoods, and the more careful to assist the poor saints. I admit the value of the study of the feet of the image of Nebuchadnezzar's vision, and the importance of knowing the kingdoms which make up the ten toes, but I do not see the propriety of allowing such studies to overlay the common-places of practical godliness. If the time spent over obscure theological propositions were given to a mission in the dim alley near the good man's house, more benefit would come to man and more glory to God. I would have you understand all the mysteries brethren, if you could; but do not forget that our chief business here below is to cry, "Behold the Lamb!" By all manner and means read and search till you know all that the Lord has revealed concerning things to come; but first of all see to it that your children are brought to the saviour's feet, and that you are workers together with God in the upbuilding of his church.49

Spurgeon was able, in a relatively short lifetime, to build what many believed to be the largest Protestant Church in the world, establish and preside over a Pastor's College, establish an orphanage, a book colportage, and innumerable organizations and societies within his church. The sustained publication of his sermons on a weekly basis continued over 20 years after his death, and was stopped only by the paper shortage brought on by World War I. Drummond acknowledges this as he states:

Many consider Spurgeon one of the ten greatest English authors with an estimate of up to 300 million copies of his sermons and books printed. During his life the whole evangelical world seemed to hang on his words; and he is still constantly republished to this day. He became a household word, and remains so to this moment in many evangelical circles. At any rate, there are more books, at least religious works, in print today by Spurgeon —a century after his death—than any living or dead English author.50

In his recent work John F. MacArthur Jr. states this about the continuing impact of Spurgeon on today's evangelical world:

Surely no preacher in the history of the English language has had Spurgeon's facility with words, his ability to convey the authority of the divine message, his passion for truth, or his grasp of preaching combined with such knowledge of theology. He was also a churchman par excellence, innately gifted as a leader. Pastoring in troubled times, Spurgeon filled his 5,500 seat auditorium several times a week.51

The German pastor and theologian Helmut Thielicke summarized the ministry of Spurgeon, perhaps better than anyone, when he stated:

In no way was he like the managers of a modern evangelistic campaign, who manipulate souls with all the techniques of mass-suggestion, acting like salvation engineers. Charles Haddon Spurgeon —it is he of whom we are speaking— was still unaware of the wiles of propaganda, and completely ignorant of the subliminal influence that operates by appealing to secret images, wishdreams, and anxiety complexes —and hence begins with the results of psychological tests. He worked only through the power of the Word which created its own hearers and changed souls 52[emphasis ours].

Spurgeon was first and foremost a man who "pleased God rather than man." He was not afraid of theological battles, and fought many of them during his life. But his battles were over "the truth of the Gospel" (Galatians 2:14), not over other issues, which he considered secondary. In the area of eschatological and millennial considerations, he was, as shall be shown, content in his own views and expressed them sufficiently in both volume and clarity.

Part Two: Eschatological and Millennial Definitions in Victorian England

Before Spurgeon's view of the Millennium can be identified there must first be a clear understanding of the millennial definitions of Spurgeon's own time. One writer on this subject; whose argument, according to his critic, "depends on an extremely broad definition of a- millennialism or an extremely narrow one of premillennialism,"53 made the error of using his own definitions instead of those of the period he was discussing. Twentieth Century definitions of theological issues are, of course, important for this discussion; however, a valid understanding for the historic period in question is essential. The purpose here is not to examine every slight deviation from the basic systems herein discussed, but rather to show the essential tenets of each system. Furthermore, any view of the millennium, by necessity, depends on how Revelation 20:1-6 is to be interpreted. This issue will be discussed only as it applies to the various millennial schemes examined here and to Spurgeon's views themselves.54

Section A: Introduction to the Millennial Schemes
The millennium, the thousand years of Revelation 20:1-10, has been variously understood throughout the history of the church. Four different millennial views which have emerged in the history of doctrine are designated by the prefixes; "a-", "post-", "pre-" and "historic pre-." These designations have reference to the timing of the Return of Christ in relation to the commencement of this millennial kingdom as well as the essential nature of that kingdom.
The four millennial positions will be more clearly defined later, but essentially they are understood in the following manner:

(1) The Amillennial position is the belief that there will be no physical kingdom on earth. "Amillennialists believe that the kingdom of God is now present in the world as the victorious Christ rules his church through the Word and Spirit. They feel that the future, glorious, and perfect kingdom refers to the new earth and life in heaven."55
(2) The Postmillennial position teaches that there will be an extended period of peace, prosperity and a godly world brought about by "Christian preaching and teaching."56 This millennium will see the nearly universal rule of the Church and Christian principles in force in the world and will finally culminate with the return of Christ, and the translation into the eternal state.
The Premillennial position is divided into two very distinct segments.
(3) The Historic or Covenantal Premillennial view teaches that there will be a 1,000 year kingdom on earth in which Christ will personally reign, having returned to the earth to establish his rule "suddenly through supernatural methods rather than gradually over a long period of time."57 In this scheme the Jews will have a prominent part in God's plan, but the kingdom is essentially the culmination of the church age.
(4) The Dispensational Premillennialist teaches the same basic scheme as the Historical position; however, the essential nature of the kingdom is quite different. For the Dispensationalist, the 1,000 year kingdom is the culmination and final fulfillment of God's promises to Israel. The kingdom which Christ personally rules over is the Davidic Kingdom of Israel's Messiah. In Dispensational Premillennialism there is a greater distinction between Israel and the Church, than in the Historic/Covenantal position.58

The other key eschatological questions regarding the tribulation and the timing of the rapture are sub-divisions of the "premillennial" views and are not primarily germane to this discussion. Interest in the question of the "rapture" itself was not unknown in Spurgeon's day, but was a rather narrow focus and confined mainly to some of the Plymouth Brethren. Their unique view was known as "The Secret Rapture."59

Section B: The Millennial Schemes in Spurgeon's Day: An Overview
That all four of these millennial schemes were known and believed by various groups of Christendom within Victorian England is indisputable. In 1878 Nathaniel West, presenting a chronicle of the history of premillennialism, identified the three key strains of millennial thought when he wrote:

Thus does pre-millennialism become a protest against the doctrine of unbroken evolution of the Kingdom of God to absolute perfection on earth, apart from the miraculous intervention of Christ [i.e. postmillennialism]. And equally is it a protest against that vapid idealism which violates the perfect kingdom into a spiritual abstraction, apart from the regenesis of the earth [i.e. amillennialism]. It asserts that the literal is always the last and highest fulfillment of prophecy.60

What could be identified as Amillennialism was the official position of both the Roman Catholic Church, the Lutheran Church and the Church of England, although there was latitude within Lutheranism and Anglicanism for a variety of beliefs on this issue. The influential non-conformist theologian Philip Doddridge (1702- 1751), "rejected the very notion of a millennium."61 The Congregational theologian, Josiah Conder wrote in 1838 that any view of a literal millennial kingdom was "aberrational."62

In England "the postmillennial theory was evidently widespread."63 This view was spread by the influence of William Carey, Thomas Chalmers and others. Postmillennialism was the dominant view in America from the time of the Puritans to early in the 20th Century, and was also extremely well-established in England. A seminal work delineating the postmillennial view was David Brown's, Christ's Second Coming: Will it be Premillennial? (1846). Brown, who became the Principle of the Aberdeen Free Church College, presented what became the classic presentation of postmillennial eschatology in England.64 So valuable is this work that it remains a standard reference to this day.

Dispensationalism, although still young by Spurgeon's time, did predate Spurgeon's ministry by a decade or so. John Nelson Darby and the "Brethren" were very influential and began spreading their system by the late 1830's. Bebbington states:

Although never the unanimous view among Brethren, dispensationalism spread beyond their ranks and gradually became the most popular version of futurism. In the nineteenth century it remained a minority version among premillennialists, but this intense form of apocalyptic expectation was to achieve much greater salience in the twentieth. [emphasis ours]65

Since the dispensational perspective was viewed as a "minority version among premillennialists" it is evident that another premillennial position was in existence during this time. In fact, the Historicist view was the dominant premillennial option at this time. Bebbington goes on to state that during "the 1830's and 1840's two schools of thought emerged"66 in premillennialism. One, he states was "normally called 'historicist'"67 and the second was identified as "the futurist school."68 In short, the "historicist" was most closely identified with the Historic/Covenantal Premillennial position; while the "futurist" was most clearly the Dispensational Premillennial position.69

Among the non- conformists in 19th Century England (Presbyterians, Baptists, Congregationalists, and Methodists), any of the millennial schemes were able to be adopted. The reason for this seems to be the fact that the foundational creed for all of the Protestant denominations in England (and America), The Westminster Confession of 1647 was not particularly specific on the issue. There is no mention of the millennium and the Confession ends with the comment:

So he [God] will have that day unknown to men, that they may shake off all carnal security, and be always watchful, because they know not what hour the Lord will come; and may ever be prepared to say, Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly.70

This statement is clearly non-specific. The other sections, "Of the State of Men after Death and of the Resurrection of the Dead" (Chapter 32) and "Of the Last Judgment" (Chapter 33), can easily be interpreted to fit any of the four millennial positions.

Section C: Spurgeon's Understanding of the Millennial Questions of His Day
Spurgeon himself was obviously familiar and conversant with the various millennial schemes as defined above. In his Commenting and Commentaries, he identified the various interpretive schools of the Book of Revelation as he stated:

The works upon Revelation are so extremely numerous (Darling's list contains 52 columns), and the views entertained are so many, so different, and so speculative, that after completing our List we resolved not to occupy our space with it, but merely to mention a few books of repute. As for the lucubrations upon parts of the book, they lie at the booksellers' "thick as leaves in Vallambrosa." Numbers of these prophecyings have been disproved by the lapse of time, and others will in due season share their fate. The following remarks may help the student, and at the same time prove the difficulty of making a selection.

Davidson71 distinguishes a fourfold manner of apprehending Apocalyptic Prophecy.

1. Preterists. The prophecies contained in the Apocalypse were fulfilled with the destruction of Jerusalem and the fall of heathen Rome. This is the view of Bossuet, Grotius, Hammond, Wetstien, Eichhorn, Ewald, DeWitte, Locke, and others, among whom is the American expositor Moses Stuart.

2. Continuists. The Apocalyptic prophecies are predictive of progressive history, being partly fulfilled, partly unfulfilled. Thus, Mede, Brightman, Issac Newton, Woodhouse, Cunningham, Birks, Elliott (and many Germans).

3. Simple Futurists. According to these, only the first three chapters relate to the historical present of the Seer, all else having reference to the absolute future of the Lord's Appearing. Thus, Burgh, Maitland, Benjamin Newton, Todd, and others.

4. Extreme Futurists. Even the first three chapters of Revelation are a prophecy relative to the absolute future of Christ's Coming —being a prediction of the condition of the Jews after the first resurrection. Kelly, and some Irish authors.72
All of the millennial positions mentioned above are represented in this small listing by Spurgeon, and among the commentaries he mentions. William Kelly, the Brethren writer in the "Extreme Futurist" group, was a Dispensational Premillennialist; Benjamin Newton, William Cunningham, and C. B. Elliott would be classified as "Historic or Covenantal Premillennialists; Moses Stuart was postmillennial; and Jacques Bossuet and Johann Eichhorn adhered to an amillennial approach. This, combined with his own admission that he was well- read in the prophetic literature of the day,73 shows that Spurgeon was able to interact with the entire spectrum of millennial thought as it existed in his day.

Part Three: Identifying the Major Eschatological Positions on the Millennium

Now that the existence of the four millennial views in Spurgeon's era has been briefly demonstrated, each of the systems must be examined in more detail. In this section each millennial system will be surveyed in terms of Spurgeon's day and the modern expression of the system. Also the essential points of each system will be identified.

Section A: An Overview of Amillennialism
The eschatological view of the millennium known as "amillennialism" literally means "no millennium." In some senses the nomenclature is not entirely accurate and many who hold this position today prefer the label of "realized eschatology" for their position. In Spurgeon's day the designation, amillennialism, was unknown. William Cox, with perhaps excusable hyperbole, states:

The name is new, and there have been times in history when these teachings were not pronounced with vigor. But amillennial teachings are as old as Christianity itself. Amillennialism has always been the majority view of the historic Christian church, even as it remains today.74

Amillennialism, despite Cox's assertions, is normally said to trace its lineage back to the time of Saint Augustine (354-430), who identified the church with the kingdom. According to Clouse:

. . . the statements in the Book of Revelation were interpreted allegorically by Augustine. No victory was imminent in the struggle with evil in the world. On the really important level, the spiritual, the battle had already been won and God had triumphed through the cross. Satan was reduced to lordship over the City of the World, which coexisted with the City of God. Eventually even the small domain left to the devil would be taken from him by a triumphant God.75

The influence of Augustine led to the amillennial, or what Peters called an "anti-millennial" view.76 This view of no millennium became the official view of the Catholic Church and would be the original view of the Protestant reformers. As Peters states:

They (as e.g. Luther, Melanchthon, Zwingli, Calvin, and Knox) occupied the Augustinian or Popish position. . . that the church, in some sense, was the Kingdom of God (preparatory to a higher stage), and that the millennial period (one thousand years) included this dispensation or gospel period (some of the millennial descriptions being applicable only to a future period either in heaven or the renewed earth), and hence was nearing its close.77

This eschatological view was firmly embedded into the Reformed Tradition by the works of John Calvin. In his Institutes of the Christian Religion, Calvin wrote a section entitled, "The Error of the Chiliasts" in which he stated:

But a little later there followed the chiliasts, who limited the reign of Christ to a thousand years. Now their fiction is too childish either to need or to be worth a refutation. And the Apocalypse, from which they undoubtedly drew a pretext for their error does not support them. For the number "one thousand" (Rev. 20:4) does not apply to the eternal blessedness of the church but only to the various disturbances that awaited the church, while still toiling on earth. On the contrary, all Scripture proclaims that there will be no end to the blessedness of the elect or the punishment of the wicked.78

Spurgeon, whom has been seen to consider Calvinism to be the essence of Christian theology,79 was well aquainted with all of Calvin's view and considered his commentaries to "be worth their weight in gold."80 The amillennial view of Calvin, while not well-developed, continued in the Reformed Tradition as Augustine's views were not challenged on this issue. Amillennialism was then carried into Puritan theology by the classic Institutio Theologiae Elencticae of François Turretin (1623-87). Turretin has been described as "something of a gloomy amillennialist."81 Kennedy states of Turretin:

Turretin opposed the crasser, heretical chiliasts who anticipate an earthly millennium with sensual pleasures (including many wives and Jewish worship restored in Palestine) as well as the innocuous millennialism of such seventeenth- century Reformed theologians as Joseph Mede and Johan Heinrich Alsted. This kind of historical hope Turretin simply could not accept because he believed that the church must suffer, not reign in this life.82

Perhaps the outstanding delineation of an amillennial position was that of Patrick Fairbairn (1805-75), professor at the Free Church College in Aberdeen. His commentaries on Ezekiel, Jonah and the Pastoral Epistles were highly recommended by Spurgeon.83 Fairbairn's classic work, The Interpretation of Prophecy (1856), laid out both an amillennial (although again it was not known by that designation) eschatology and hermeneutic. Fairbairn's understanding of prophecy is that it was to be interpreted more in a symbolic sense, as he states in commenting on the binding of Satan in Revelation 20:2:

It is impossible, excepting on the most arbitrary and forced suppositions, to bring such statements into harmony, if they are understood absolutely, and applied simply to the personelle of Satan. . . to consider the binding of Satan in a strictly personal light, is but another example of the intermingling of the literal with the symbolic, which has so greatly retarded the proper understanding of the prophetical Scriptures.84

Fairbairn also viewed the martyrs under the altar (Rev 20:4) as "symbolic,"85 referring to all of the saints throughout the ages; he also viewed the millennium as referring to the eternal state.86 Fairbairn also rejected a literal interpretation of prophecy (which he viewed as part and parcel of the premillennial and to a lesser degree the postmillennial positions) as "essentially Jewish."87 Peter Masters, a fervent amillennialist, praises Fairbairn's Commentary on Ezekiel by saying:

Fairbairn sets aside historical and literal views of Ezekiel, and presses Christian-spiritual (or typical) views. Thus the vision of the dry bones is linked with Isaiah and Daniel passages to depict the day of resurrection; while the reuniting of the kingdom of the 'David' refers to the eternal kingdom of Christ.88

Moving into a modern articulation of the amillennial scheme Anthony A. Hoekema, one of the most articulate spokesmen for this position in recent times, states:

The term amillennialism is not a happy one. It suggests that amillennialists either do not believe in any millennium or that they simply ignore the first six verses in Revelation 20, which speak of a millennial reign. Neither of these two statements is true. Though it is true that amillennialists do not believe in a literal thousand-year earthly reign which will follow the return of Christ, the term amillennialism is not an accurate description of their view. Professor Jay E. Adams of Westminister Seminary in Philadelphia has suggested that the term amillennialism be replaced by the expression realized millennium.89

From Hoekema's statement one can see the essence of the amillennial position, namely that he does not "believe in a literal thousand-year earthly reign which will follow the return of Christ." The amillennial position can be defined as a belief that:

. . . the Bible does not predict a period of the rule of Christ on earth before the last judgment. According to this outlook there will be a continuous development of good and evil in the world until the second coming of Christ, when the dead shall be raised and the judgment conducted. Amillennialists believe that the kingdom of God is now present in the world as the victorious Christ rules his church through the Word and the Spirit. They feel that the future, glorious, and perfect kingdom refers to the new earth and life in heaven. Thus Rev. 20 is a description of the souls of dead believers reigning with Christ in heaven.90

Hoekema details several features of amillennial eschatology, which serve as a helpful backdrop for understanding their scheme. He details four basic premises of amillennialism and then six chronological details:

1. Christ has won the decisive victory over sin, death and Satan.

This victory of Christ's was decisive and final. The most important day in history, therefore, is not the Second Coming of Christ which is still future but the first coming which lies in the past. Because of the victory of Christ, the ultimate issues of history have already been decided. It is now a question of time until that victory is brought to its full consummation.91

2. The Kingdom of God is both present and future.

Amillennialists believe that the kingdom of God was founded by Christ at the time of his sojourn on earth, is operative in history now and is destined to be revealed in its fullness in the life to come. They understand the kingdom of God to be the reign of God dynamically in human history through Jesus Christ. Its purpose is to redeem God's people from sin and demonic powers, and finally to establish the new heavens and the new earth. The kingdom of God means nothing less than the reign of God in Christ over his entire created universe.92

3. Though the last day is still future, the church is in the last days now.

When I say, "we are in the last days now," I understand the expression "last days" not merely referring to the time just before Christ's return, but as a description of the entire era between Christ's first and second comings. . . In the light of these New Testament teachings, we may indeed speak of an inaugurated eschatology, while remembering that the Bible speaks of a final consummation of eschatological events in what John commonly calls "the last day" (John 6:39-40, 44, 54; 11:24; 12:48). The fact that we are living in the last days now implies that we are already tasting the beginnings of eschatological blessings —that, as Paul says, we already have "the first fruits of the Spirit" (Rom. 8:23).93

4. As far as the thousand years of Revelation 20 are concerned, the church is in the millennium now.

The amillennial position on the thousand years of Revelation 20 implies that Christians who are now living are enjoying the benefits of this millennium since Satan has been bound for the duration of this period. As we saw, the fact that Satan is now bound does not mean that he is not active in the world today but that during this period he cannot deceive the nations —that is, cannot prevent the spread of the gospel. . .Amillennialists also teach that during this same thousand year period the souls of believers who have died are now living and reigning with Christ in heaven while they await the resurrection of the body. Their state is therefore a state of blessedness and happiness, though their joy will not be complete until their bodies have been raised.94

While the amillennialist does not believe in a physical kingdom, and holds the 1,000 reference in Revelation 20 to be figurative; they do believe that Jesus will physically return to the earth. Chronologically, the amillennial scheme views the Second Coming of Christ as a single and unified event. After a period of increasing lawlessness and apostasy (although as Hoekema points out this "cannot prevent the spread of the gospel"), Christ will return. At this time the resurrection of the just and unjust will take place, as well as the glorification of those believers who are still alive on the earth.

While admitting the "rapture" of I Thessalonians 4:17, amillennialists view this event as a meeting of "raised and transformed believers"95 who meet Christ in the air and then return with Him to reign together in the New Earth, which most define as heaven or the eternal state. Also at this time the final judgment of the unbelievers and the rewarding of believers will occur and the eternal state will commence. Charles Wannamaker states this clearly in his commentary on the Thessalonian epistles:

Those who meet the Lord in the air (the space between the earth and the heavens in Jewish cosmology) are caught up in a heavenly ascent by the clouds without any indication that they then return to earth. Apart from the possible connotation that ajpavnthsi" might have for a return to earth, the rest of the imagery (the clouds and being caught up with the Lord) are indicative of an assumption to heaven of the people who belong to Christ. That Paul adds his own definitive statement concerning the significance of this meeting in the clause kai; ou[tw" pavntote suvn kurivw/ ejsovmeqa ("and thus we will always be with the Lord") suggests both living and dead Christians will return to heaven with the Lord, not only to enjoy continuous fellowship with him, but also in terms of 1:10, to be saved from the coming wrath of God.96

Thus, for the amillennialist, the rapture is used by God to remove the living and dead saints from the earth, transforming them for and transferring them to heaven; while at the same time the judgment of the living and dead unbelievers is carried out.

While the terminology for amillennialism has been altered slightly since the time of Spurgeon, the essential features have remained the same. Those Spurgeon identified as "Preterist"97 would fit into the amillennial scheme. Again the "Preterist" position holds that the prophecies of Revelation, are not really all that prophetic, since the "fulfillment of the apocalyptic taking place roughly contemporaneously with the Scriptural account of it."98 With that as the case, then the account of the millennium in Revelation 20 is not speaking of a future event, but rather the kingdom of God already functioning with Jesus seated in heaven. The chart below presents what can be called the sine qua non of the amillennial system.

Essential Features of Amillennialism

Satan has been defeated and is currently bound.
The Millennium is the current Church Age. (although some of this school will identify the millennium with the eternal state)
The Resurrections of the Just & Unjust occur simultaneously to the return of Christ.
There is no sense in which the millennium has reference to a material, earthly kingdom.
The Church is the succession of Israel in God's plans.

Section B: An Overview of Postmillennialism

The eschatological position on the millennium known as "postmillennialism" teaches that Christ will return at the end of the 1,000 kingdom. Clouse describes postmillennialism in the following manner:

The postmillennialists emphasize the present aspects of God's kingdom which will reach fruition in the future. They believe that the millennium will come through Christian preaching and teaching. Such activity will result in a more godly, peaceful, and prosperous world. The new age will not be essentially different from the present, and it will come about as more people are converted to Christ. Evil will not be totally eliminated during the millennium, but it will be reduced to a minimum as the moral and spiritual influence of Christians is increased. During the new age the church will assume greater importance and many economic, social, educational problems can be solved. This period is not necessarily limited to a thousand years because the number can be used symbolically. The millennium closes with the second coming of Christ, the resurrection of the dead, and the last judgment.99

Postmillennialism was the "dominant evangelical position"100 of the 19th century in both America and England. It was born out of an optimistic view of Christianity's growing impact on society and the legacy of Puritan theology.101 In detailing the aspects of postmillennialism, perhaps the most complete presentation was produced by the great Princeton Theologian, Charles Hodge. Hodge, whose Systematic Theology remains a standard work in America, was also highly respected in England and particularly by Spurgeon.102 Spurgeon was a great admirer of the Princeton Theologians and corresponded with both Charles and A. A. Hodge on several occasions. In reviewing A. A. Hodge's Outlines in Theology (1878) Spurgeon stated:

We commend the Outlines of Theology to all who would be well instructed in the faith. It is the standard text-book of our college. We differ from its teachings upon baptism, but in almost everything else we endorse Hodge to the letter.103 [emphasis ours]

Spurgeon held the foundational work, Charles Hodge's Systematic Theology, in equally high esteem. Spurgeon asked for and had received both a portrait of the elder Hodge and a sample of the manuscript of this classic, which he greatly prized. A. A. Hodge traveled to London more than once and participated in a conference with Spurgeon at The Pastor's College on August 7th, 1877.104 As shown, Spurgeon was enthusiastic about Princeton's position on theology, and as their theology was the text at Spurgeon's Pastor College, it goes without saying that the postmillennial view of both Hodge's was well-known and understood by Spurgeon. However, this was not a point of overwhelming concern for Spurgeon, nor a reason for a departure from with the works of the Hodge's.

Although other millennial schemes had their adherents, postmillennialism held the day in the 19th Century mainly because, "the great Princeton school of theology of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, represented by Hodge and Benjamin B. Warfield, staunchly defended this system."105 Hodge detailed postmillennial thought as follows:

The common church doctrine is, first that there is to be a second personal, visible, and glorious advent of the Son of God. Secondly, that the events which are to proceeded that advent are:
1. The universal diffusion of the Gospel; or, as our Lord expresses it, the ingathering of the elect; this is the vocation of the Christian Church.
2. The conversion of the Jews, which is to be national. As their casting away was national, although a remnant was saved; so their conversion may be national although some may remain obdurate.
3. The coming of Antichrist.
Thirdly, that the events which are to attend to the second advent are:
1. The resurrection of the dead, of the just and the unjust.
2. The general judgment
3. The end of the world. And,
4. The consummation of Christ's kingdom.106

Foundational to Hodge's postmillennial scheme was his belief in the ultimate success of the Gospel. He called this the "universal diffusion," or more specifically, "the ingathering of the elect." He called it "The first great event which is to proceed the second coming of Christ."107 Here Hodge begins by a demonstration of the requirement for worldwide proclamation of the Gospel in Old Testament predictions. In the Systematic Theology he quotes Hosea 2:23 ("...and they shall say, Thou art my God.") and Isaiah 45:23 ("...that unto me every knee show bow and every tongue shall swear.") in support of his thesis. He summarizes his position as follows:

That is, [commenting on Isaiah 45:23] the true religion shall prevail over the whole earth. Jehovah shall everywhere be recognized and worshipped as the only true God. It is to be remembered that these and many other passages of like import are quoted and applied by the Apostle to the Gospel dispensation.108

Hodge believed that this "ingathering of the elect" was to precede the national conversion of the Jews. "In Romans xi. 25, Paul teaches that the national conversion of the Jews is not to take place 'until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in.' The plhvrwma tw'n ejqnw'n, is that which makes the number of Gentiles full; the full complement which the Gentiles are to render to make the number of the elect complete."109 Hodge readily admits that he is uncertain as to the exact timing of this, other than the fact that in the eternal counsels of God there is a determined number of elect Gentiles, who upon being saved, brings about the a[cri" ou, which Hodge states, "marks the terminus ad quem."110 After this point the national conversion of the Jews will take place. However, even with this, Hodge states that God is not yet finished with the Gentiles,

All that can be safely inferred from this language is, that the Gentiles, as a body, the mass of the Gentile world, will be converted before the restoration of the Jews, as a nation. Much will remain to be accomplished after that event; and in the accomplishment of what shall remain to be done, the Jews are to have a prominent agency.111

As has already been noted, Hodge believed that the church in his day was both ready and equipped, under God's providence and power, to bring the task of worldwide proclamation to a climax.

It is only within the last fifty years that the church has been brought to feel that its great duty is the conversion of the nations. More probably, has been done in this direction during the last half century than during the preceding five hundred years. It is to be hoped that a new effusion of the Spirit like that of the Day of Pentecost may be granted to the Church whose fruits shall far exceed those of the first effusion as the millions of Christians now alive exceed in number the one hundred and twenty souls then gathered in Jerusalem.112

Hodge felt that in the work of gentile conversion, the church and the church alone, was to be the immediate agency, used by God, for the spreading of the Gospel. "That the conversion of the Gentile world is the work assigned to the church under the present dispensation, and that it is not to fold its hands and await the second coming of Christ to accomplish that work for it, seems evident from what has already been said."113 Hodge went on to say, "There is no intimation in the New Testament that the work of converting the world is to be effected by any other means than those now in use. It is to dishonour the Gospel, and the power of the Holy Spirit, to suppose that they are inadequate to the accomplishment of this work."114

The means by which the world was to be converted was by the message of the Gospel. That message was to have progressively increasing success as the church again recaptured the zeal of the apostles and the early church. Since God has, "furnished it with all the means necessary for its accomplishment; He revealed the truth which is the power of God unto salvation; He instituted the ministry to be perpetuated to the end of the world, and promised to endow men from age to age with the gifts and graces necessary for the discharge of its duties, and to grant them constant presence and assistance."115

The other main proponent of the postmillennial scheme in Spurgeon's day was his near neighbor at Aberdeen, David Brown. As already mentioned, his book Christ's Second Coming: Will it be Premillennial?, was very influential in both Scotland and England116. Brown, had himself formerly been a premillennialist, and once was an assistant to Edward Irving in London.

The theologians of Spurgeon's day understood Postmillennialism to be the eschatological view which "looks forward to a golden age of spiritual prosperity during this present dispensation, that is, during the Church Age."117 It was the dominant view in Spurgeon's Victorian England and in Nineteenth Century American Christianity.

Postmillennial eschatology, while once dominate in evangelical circles has been relegated to a lesser role today. With the conclusion of the two World Wars, the Korean War, the Cold War and threat of atomic confrontation; postmillennialism, as a system, was thought to be dead or at least dying. In 1952 Charles L. Feinberg declared, "current events now make it impossible to hold to a postmillennial view, soon it will be abandoned completely."118 Even in 1977 Millard Erickson stated, "Today postmillennialists are, if not an extinct species, at least an endangered species."119 In recent years, however, postmillennialism in its classic understanding has been making something of a comeback.120 For many years the outstanding advocate of Postmillennialism in this form has been Dr. Loraine Boettner. In his presentation of the subject in his work, The Millennium, Boettner states:

The Millennium to which the Postmillennialist looks forward is thus a golden age of spiritual prosperity during this present dispensation, that is, during the Church age, and is to be brought about through forces now active in the world. It is an indefinitely long period of time, perhaps longer than the literal one thousand years. The changed character of individuals will be reflected in an uplifted social economic, political, and cultural life of mankind. The world at large will then enjoy a state of righteousness such as at the present time has been seen only in relatively small and isolated groups.121

From the comments of Boettner it can be seen that the makeup and understanding of the postmillennial scheme has changed little since the Nineteenth Century. The chart below presents the sine qua non of the postmillennial system.

Essential Features of Postmillennialism
The Gospel will ultimately be successful and the majority of the world will be converted.
The millennium is a period of 1,000 years (although some would view this number as symbolic) in which the Church is triumphant in the world.
Christ will return after this millennium and usher in the eternal state.
Because of the steady advance of Christianity, the societal structures will continue get better and better.
The Church has replaced Israel as the chosen people of God (although many postmillennialists teach that there will be a national or racial conversion of Israel).

Section C: An Overview of Historic Premillennialism
The "Historic" Premillennial position is easily seen in the early church fathers.122 It was formerly known as "Chiliasm," after the Greek word for 1,000. Virtually all historians acknowledge that a premillennial faith was the dominant eschatological belief in the church from "the apostolic age until the time of Augustine."123 Nathaniel West (1826- 1906), writing on "The History of the Premillennial Doctrine" (which Dr. Wilbur Smith called, "the most important history of the premillennial doctrine that exists in the literature of that generation."124) stated this:

History has no consensus more unanimous for any doctrine than is the consensus of the Apostolic Fathers for the pre-millennial advent of Christ.125

In distinction from Dispensational Premillennialism, this view has become known as "Historic Premillennialism" or "Covenantal Premillennialism" and denies the essential Jewish nature of the millennium. The essential chronology between the Dispensational and Historic schools is the same (with the exception of the timing of the rapture, which in the historical scheme is post-tribulational). However, the nature of the millennium is completely different. As Ryrie states:

The covenant premillennialism holds to the concept of the covenant of grace and the central soteriological purpose of God. He retains the idea of the kingdom, though he finds little support for it in the Old Testament prophecies since he generally assigns them to the church. The kingdom in his view is markedly different from that which is taught by the dispensationalist since it loses much of its Jewish character to the slighting of the Old Testament promises concerning the kingdom.126

George Eldon Ladd, a prominent contemporary spokesman for the "historic" school, states the issue clearly:

Here is the basic watershed between dispensational and nondispensational theology. Dispensationalism forms its eschatology by a literal interpretation of the Old Testament and then fits the New Testament into it. A nondispensational eschatology forms its theology from the explicit teachings of the New Testament. It confesses that it cannot be sure how the Old Testament prophecies of the end are to be fulfilled, for (a) the first coming of Christ was accomplished in terms not foreseen by a literal interpretation of the Old Testament, and (b) there are unavoidable indications that the Old Testament promises to Israel are fulfilled in the Christian Church. . . While the New Testament clearly affirms the salvation of literal Israel, it does not give any details about the day of salvation. This, however, must be said: Israel's salvation must occur in the same terms as Gentile salvation, by faith in Jesus as their crucified Messiah. As we have pointed out, New Testament exegesis (Hebrews 8) makes it difficult to believe that Old Testament prophecies about the "millennial temple" will be fulfilled literally. They are to be fulfilled in the New Covenant established in the blood of Jesus. It may well be that Israel's conversion will take place in connection with the millennium. It may be that in the millennium, for the first time in human history, we will witness a truly Christian nation.127

Writing in Spurgeon's era, West delineated the same understanding of the millennium when he said:

The Church shall be one with the Lord returned to earth in her midst, like the sun in the temple in New Jerusalem. The distinction still obtains, however, between the glorified church gathered around her Lord, in her glorified place on earth, and the outer unglorified humanity still liable to sin and death, yet freed from Satanic dominion, and subject to the dominion of Christ and his Church. . .And thus the Bride above and the Bride below, the Risen Glorified Saints, and Israel in the flesh, redeemed, restored and holy, shall be One Bride, One Glorious Church in the Millennial Age, and share a Mutual Jubilee and Holy Sabbath.128

It has already been noted that Dispensational Premillennialism "remained a minority version among premillennialists"129 in the Nineteenth Century. However, it remains true that the position of "Historic Premillennialism" was widespread and growing in influence in Victorian England. Bishop J. C. Ryle (1816-1900), the outstanding Anglican churchman and expositor, adhered to this premillennial scheme. In a work entitled, Coming Events and Present Duties, he detailed a several point statement of his premillennial position, in which he stated in part:

1. I believe that the world will never be completely converted to Christianity, by any existing agency, before the end comes. In spite of all that can be done by ministers, members, and churches, the wheat and tares will grow together until the Harvest; and when the end comes, it will find the earth in much the same state that it was when the flood came in the days of Noah.
2. I believe that the widespread unbelief, indifference, formalism, and wickedness, which are to be seen throughout Christendom, are only what we are taught to expect in God's word. Troublous times, departures from the faith, evil men waxing worse and worse, love waxing cold, are things directly predicted. So far from making me doubt the truth of Christianity, they help to confirm my faith. Melancholy and sorrowful as the sight is, if I did not see it I should think the Bible was not true.
5. I believe that the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ will be a real, literal, personal, bodily coming; that as He went away in the clouds of heaven with His body, before the eyes of man, so in like manner, will He return.
6. I believe that, after our Lord Jesus Christ comes again, the earth shall be renewed, and the curse removed; the devil shall be bound, the godly shall be rewarded, the wicked shall be punished; and that, before He comes, there shall be neither resurrection, judgment, no Millennium; and that not till after He comes shall the earth be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord.
7. I believe that the Jews shall be ultimately gathered again, as a separate nation, restored to their own land, and converted to the faith of Christ.
I believe, finally, that it is for the safety, happiness, and comfort, of all true believers to expect as little as possible from churches, or governments, under the present dispensation, to hold themselves ready for tremendous conversions and changes of all things established, and to expect their good things only from Christ's Second Advent.130

Spurgeon himself was familiar with the works of Ryle and always spoke of him in glowing terms. Reviewing Ryle's Expository Thoughts on the Gospels, he wrote:

We prize these volumes. They are diffuse, but not more so than family reading requires. Mr. Ryle has evidently studied all previous writers on the gospels, and has given forth an individual utterance of considerable value.131

Historic Premillennialism views the Old Testament in much the same way as the amillennialist does, as Ladd readily admits.132 However, taking a literal interpretation of Revelation 20:1-6, regarding the millennium; and Romans 11, the national conversion of Israel; the Historic Premillennialist, rejects the amillennialist idea that "because many of the Old Testament promises are fulfilled in the church, this is to be taken as a normative principle and that all promises to Israel are fulfilled in the church without exception."133

The other key tenet of the historic premillennial position is in fact "post- tribulationalism," that is, the "rapture" of the church occurs after the period of tribulation.134 Until recently the adherence to a post-tribulational position was the distinguishing feature of the historic or covenantal premillennialist as opposed to the dispensational premillennialist. In recent times that is no longer quite the case, with several prominent dispensational theologians identifying themselves as post-tribulational in their view of the rapture. The historic position holds that the church will be protected "in the tribulation", not "taken out of the tribulation."135 Ladd clearly states in his book, The Blessed Hope, that, "The Blessed Hope is not deliverance from the Tribulation; it is union with the Lord at His coming."136 Discussing the reason for this understanding of the rapture, Erickson, a adherent of the "historic premillennial" position137, states:

. . .the sharp departation of national Israel and the church are difficult to sustain on biblical grounds. The pretribulational view that the prophecies concerning national Israel will be fulfilled apart from the church and that, accordingly the millennium will have a decidedly Jewish character cannot be easily reconciled with the biblical depiction of the fundamental changes which have taken place with the introduction of the new convenant. . . The general tenor of biblical teaching fits better the posttribulational view. For example, the Bible is replete with warnings about trials and testings which believers will undergo. It does not promise removal from the adversities, but ability to endure and overcome them.138

As opposed to Postmillennialism, which sees the millennial kingdom brought in by the effective efforts of the Church, The premillennialist see the kingdom being "dramatically or cataclysmically inaugurated by the second coming. While the millennium expected by the postmillennialist may begin so gradually that its beginning will be virtually imperceptible, there will be no doubt about the beginning of the millennium as premillennialists envision it."139

Historic Premillennialism, then, holds to two essential items: (1) the nature of the kingdom is in fact the culmination of the church age. Although Israel will experience a national repentance and salvation through Christ, its place in the kingdom is only in relation to the church; Israel is simply a continuation of the "single-people of God." (2) The "rapture" will be after the tribulation (which is often undefined in terms of duration), with the church going through the tribulation, but being protected by the power of God. This system, which Spurgeon identified as "Continuists" or "Simple Futurists"140 was well known and actively taught in Victorian England. In fact, as Bebbington testified, this brand of premillennialism was the dominant view among premillennarians in Spurgeon's lifetime.141 The chart below displays the sine qua non of the Historic Premillennial position.

Essential Features of Historic Premillennialism
Christ Returns at the end of Tribulation before the beginning of the Millennial Kingdom.
The Millennial Kingdom is a literal 1,000 year earthly and physical reign of Christ over the world with the Church being the focal point of His reign.
The Jews will be converted nationally and restored to their land. They will occupy a special place in a national sense, but spiritually will be part of the Church.
The Two Resurrections of Rev 20 are separated by the 1,000 year kingdom.
At the end of the 1,000 years Satan will be released from his bondage, lead a rebellion of those who have been born during the kingdom era, but are yet unsaved. Christ will destroy the rebellion, and after the judgments the Church will enter the eternal state of heaven.

Section D: An Overview of Dispensational Premillennialism

Premillennialism, as the prefix indicates, states that Christ will return to the earth personally and visibly, before the beginning of the millennium. Since about 1830 there have been two main branches of premillennial interpretation; Dispensational Premillennialism and Historic Premillennialism. Remembering that all Dispensationalists are Premillennial, but not all Premillennialists are Dispensational.142 The dispensational perspective will be expounded here.

Dispensational Premillennialism was popularized and propagated in Spurgeon's own era by the work of the Plymouth Brethren. Several of their key leaders included John Nelson Darby (1800-1882) and William Kelly (1821-1906).143 The fact that Spurgeon was at odds with the "Brethren" is not a secret. He wrote and preached against some of the doctrines within Brethrenism on many occasions. However, is was generally the ecclesiology of the Brethren and not their eschatology that brought his ire.144 Ryrie points this out as he states:

It was not until several years after leaving the Church of England that Darby became interested in prophecy and the through conferences at Powerscourt House out of which conferences the Irvingian movement began. "Darbyism" was first a protest over the practice of the Established Church, not the propagating of a system of eschatology.145

Darby, trained as a lawyer, served in this profession for a short time before entering the Anglican church where he served as a deacon and eventually elevtaed to the priesthood where he served as curate in County Wicklow. Darby's ministry was used to the advance of the church there and under his ministry, "Roman Catholics were passing over to Protestantism many hundreds in the week."146 Disillusioned by the worldliness and lack of piety he felt should exemplify a New Testament church, he left Anglicanism and began to associate with the newly emerging Brethren Movement. Under the leadership of Darby and others the Plymouth or Christian Brethren began to grow rapidly.147

Darby developed a system of biblical interpretation and historical development which became known as Dispensationalism. According to Hoffecker this system:

. . .broke not only from previous millenarian teaching but from all of church history by asserting that Christ's second coming would occur in two stages. The first, an invisible "secret rapture" of true believers, could happen at any moment, ending the great "parenthesis" or church age which began when the Jews rejected Christ. Then literal fulfillment would resume OT prophecy concerning Israel, which had been suspended, and fulfillment of prophecy in Revelation would begin the great tribulation. Christ's return would be completed when he established a literal thousand-year kingdom of God on earth, manifest in a restored Israel.148

While there is some dispute as to the origins of Dispensationalism149 E. Schuyler English states:

While some trace the roots of dispensational concepts to the patristic period most theologians credit J. N. Darby, a Plymouth Brethren scholar, with the first systematizing dispensationalist theology in the middle of the 19th century.150

Darby is often difficult to interpret, mainly because of a rather abtruse writing style. During his own lifetime he was often misunderstood and in modern times Cruthfield states, "only the most intrepid of scholars deliberately choose to tackle Darby's works."151 Spurgeon himself commented on this when he stated regarding Darby's commentary on the Psalms, "If the author would write in plain English his readers would probably discover that there is nothing very valuable in his remarks."152 However, in his Lectures on the Second Coming, Darby states his position clearly:

Here then we have the details of it. The Lord hath declared that He will come and receive us unto Himself; and now the apostle, by the revelation given unto him, explains, how it will be. He will come to call us to meet the Lord in the air. . .What we are called to expect is not to die —we may die, and a blessed thing it is to die— but what we are to look for, as is expressed in the 5th of 2nd Corinthians, "Not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life." That Christ's power over death may be fully shown, He takes to Himself mortal men, whether alive or dead; if alive, He changes them into glory without dying; if they are dead, He raises them153

In his scheme Darby taught clearly that there was a clear and distinct difference between Israel, for whom the seven year Tribulation and the Millennial kingdom were designed for,154 and the Church, whom would be removed by means of the rapture and "always with the Lord." Commenting on Darby's view of the millennium, Crutchfield states:

According to Darby, while the rapture primairily involves the hopes and destiny of the church, the millennial reign of Christ focuses predominantly upon the nation Israel and here hopes. There were two principles operative in the history of the Jewish people. On the one hand, unconditional promises had been made to Abraham (Gen. 12), and repeated to Isaac (Gen.26:3,4) and Jacob (Gen. 35:10,12) On the other hand, Israel had received promises under the condition of obedience (the giving of the Law at Sinai), and in this, failed miserably. Israel's failure, however, did not abrogate the unconditional covenantal promises made to Abraham some four hundred years before, for they rest solely upon the faithfulness of God. While the unconditional promises to Abraham included both earthly and spiritual elements, prominent among them the an absolute gift of the country.155

It must again be remembered that the dispensational scheme was not the exclusive view among the Brethren. Two early Brethren leaders, B. W. Newton and S. P. Tregelles, rejected the idea of pretribulationalism and a sharp distinction between Israel and the Church. This particular issue was one of the key reasons for the division between Darby and Newton in the early years of the Brethren movement.156

In the nature and timing of prophetic events there is very little difference between Darby, Kelly and those Spurgeon labeled as "extreme futurists"157 and the "Classic Dispensationalists" of the last 50 years. In his commentary on the Book of Revelation William Kelly lays out a clear and detailed dispensational view of the millennium in his comments on Revelation 20. In part he states:

But in this is shown —what is of importance to see— the true nature of the kingdom or millennial reign. "That Day" does not mean a time when everyone will be converted, but when the Lord Jesus will govern righteously, when overt evil will at once be judged, and good sustained wonderously for a thousand years.158

As dispensational thought moved into the Twentieth Century, the single issue which set apart Dispensational Premillennialism continued to be its placement and position of Israel in the Millennial Kingdom. While there are adherents in all millennial schemes who teach that there will be a large scale conversion of the Jews in the end times in accordance with Romans 9-11; all but the dispensationalist see the millennial kingdom as some type of extension of the church, since, as Erickson points out:

He [the historic premillennialist] believes that the church has become the spiritual Israel and that many of the prophecies and promises relating to Israel are now fulfilled in the church. The Old Testament sacrificial system has forever passed away because Christ, the reality, has come. Nonetheless he believes that literal or national Israel is yet to be saved. He bases this primarily upon Romans 11:15-16. In the future Israel will turn to Christ and be saved.159

On the other hand the dispensationalist has a much wider role for Israel in the millennial kingdom. For the dispensationalist the kingdom is not a culmination of the church age before the eternal state; but rather, a fulfillment of all the Old Testament prophecies given to Israel. Again Erickson's evaluation is helpful:

Finally, in dispensationalism the millennium is more than merely a thousand-year reign of Christ on the earth. It has a clear, definite place in the plan of God; the restoration of national Israel to its favored place in God's program and the fulfillment of God's promises to Israel. The millennium therefore has a very Jewish tone. It is the time when Israel really comes into her own. Whereas in some other forms of premillennialism the purpose of the millennium is rather unclear, in dispensationalism it is an integral part of one's theology and of one's understanding of the Bible. Large portions of prophecy are still unfulfilled, and the millennium provides a time for their fulfillment.160

Thus, dispensationalism is much more than simply "pretribulationalism," or "premillennialism with charts and maps," it is the maintenance of a clear, distinct and essential difference between "Israel and the Church." As Ryrie states, "This is probably the most basic theological test of whether or not a man is a dispensationalist, and it is undoubtedly the most practical and conclusive. A man who fails to distinguish between Israel and the Church will inevitably not hold to dispensational distinctions; and one who does, will."161 Lewis Sperry Chafer also makes this point clear when he states:

Their [national Israel] destiny is traceable on into the millennium and the new earth which follows. However, in the present age, bounded as it is by the two advents of Christ, all progress in the national and earthly program for Israel is in abeyance and individual Jews are given the same privilege as individual gentiles of the exercise of personal faith in Christ as Savior and out of those thus redeemed, both Jews and Gentiles, the heavenly people are being called. It is clearly indicated throughout the prophetic scriptures that when the present purpose is accomplished God will, in all faithfulness, return to the full completion of His earthly promises in Israel (Acts 15:14-18; Rom. 11:24-27).162

Dispensational Premillennialism, as articulated by Darby, Kelly and other contemporaries of Spurgeon, and continued by the "classic" dispensationalists of this century; is then a belief that God will bring about a literal, earthly kingdom in which Christ will reign over all the world through the agency of Israel. The Jewish nature of the kingdom is seen in the fact that God is dealing with Israel in a national sense, apart from the church; which by means of the rapture has been removed from the earthly scene. Even the Old Testament sacrifices are seen as being reinstituted, but instead of being utilized for the forgiveness of sin, the sacrifices are instead a memorial to what Christ has already done on the Cross.163

In chronology, the Dispensational Premillennialist traditionally sees the following general scheme for the end times: (1) The Church Age ending with the "rapture" of the church when the living saints are translated and the dead saints are resurrected, meeting Christ in the air; (2) seven years of tribulation, specifically designed to both judge Israel and bring her to repentance, during which the Antichrist and his forces, empowered by Satan, attempt to gain control of the world; (3) the personal return of Christ (the Second Coming) to the earth with His saints, destroying the forces of Antichrist and banishing unbelievers to eternal punishment, while believers are allowed to repopulate the earth and serve Christ; (4) the millennial kingdom, a 1,000 years of Christ's reign over the world from the throne of David in Jerusalem, re-instituted, albeit modified Temple functions; (5) at the end of the millennium, Satan is released from his imprisonment for a "little season" at which time he instigates a rebellion among those who have been born during the millennium, but have failed to personally accept Christ as their savior. Christ will put down the rebellion, and the final judgment will ensue with the wicked dead being resurrected and Satan, the fallen angels and all the unbelievers being cast into Hell for all eternity; (6) the eternal state commences in the New Heavens and New Earth.

All of these features of Dispensational Premillennialism would have been well- circulated and equally well-known by the time of Spurgeon's ministry. Again, particular nomenclature may not have been widely used or even coined in Spurgeon's day; since the system has been more clearly defined in recent times. Also some of the terminology, such as "secret rapture," while widely used in the 19th Century Dispensationalism, is an almost unknown term today. Darby traveled around the world, especially to the United States, New Zealand and Australia, spreading his Dispensational teaching. In the process of this spread Dispensationalism became virtually synonymous with Fundamentalism. As Erickson states:

Because the rise of dispensationalism roughly paralleled that of the fundamentalist movement, it became virtually the official theology of fundamentalism. Some commentators have practically identified the two.164

Interestingly enough, A. C. Dixon (1854-1925), an active and vocal dispensationalist and popular speaker in the Bible and prophetic conferences of the late 1800's, was a frequent guest preacher in The Metropolitan Tabernacle pulpit during Spurgeon's illnesses and was actually the pastor of the church from 1911-19. Dixon and Spurgeon's son Thomas Spurgeon, were contributors to The Fundamentals, a famous collection of essays defending the "fundamentals of the Christian faith." The Fundamentals were widely distributed in the early 1900's and to a large degree gave a measure of definition to the fundamentalist movement. Clouse points out:

Premillennialism, because it was a well-articulated theology with considerable structure and defined leadership, was equipped to last and develop as one of the main ingredients of the Fundamentalist movement.165

The sine qua non of dispensational premillennialism are listed in the chart below:

Essential Features of Dispensational Premillennialism
The Rapture of the Church before Daniel's 70th Week (commonly known as the "Tribulation Period")
Christ Returns at the end of the Tribulation before the beginning of the Millennial Kingdom.
he Millennial Kingdom is a literal 1,000 year earthly and physical reign of Christ over the world with Israel in the leading position. The kingdom is a fulfillment of the OT promises to Israel.
The Two Resurrections of Rev 20 are separated by the 1,000 year kingdom.
At the end of the 1,000 years Satan will be released from his bondage, lead a rebellion of those who have been born during the kingdom era, but are yet unsaved. Christ will destroy the rebellion, and after the judgments Israel and the Church will enter the eternal state of heaven.

Summary

In summary, it is clear that all of the millennial schemes which are understood in the present day, were both well-known and well-taught during the lifetime of Charles H. Spurgeon. Spurgeon himself has shown his familiarity with all of these systems in terms of both their key features and their leading proponents. While some of the nomenclature of the present day would have been either unknown or unclear in Spurgeon's, it is certain that the basic features of the various systems would be well understood.

To review, the chart below is prepared to examine the four positions in question. Four key issues in the millennial question (Timing of the Second Coming, Timing of the Rapture, The Resurrection(s), and the Nature of the Millennium) are highlighted in terms of the four millennial positions in question.

Comparison of Key Features the Millennial Schemes166
	Second Coming of Christ	Rapture of the Church	Resurrection	Nature of the Millennium
Amillen- nialism	End of church age, the "realized" millennium, which begins the "heavenly" kingdom.	Equated with saints meeting Christ at His return	One Resurrection of the just and unjust at the 2nd coming.	No earthly millennium; the millennium is to be equated with the church age.
Postmillen- nialism	At the end of the millennium	Equated with saints meeting Christ at His return	One Resurrection of the just and unjust at the 2nd coming	Culmination of Gospel ministry with the church & Christianity exercising virtual dominion in all areas of society. The 1,000 yrs may or may not be literally understood.
Historic Pre- millennial- ism	Prior to the start of the millennial kingdom	At the end of the tribulation period	2 Resurrections: the just at Christ's return; the unjust at the end of the millennium	Culmination of the church age. Christ will rule and reign over the world thru the agency of the church. Israel will be nationally converted and be a part of the church.
Dispen- sational Premillen- nialism	Prior to the start of the millennial kingdom	Just prior to the beginning of the tribulation period (although in modern times some, such as Moo, have opted for a post-tribulational rapture; but this was unknown in Spurgeon's day).	2 Resurrections, with the 1st in 3 phases: Christ as the "firstfruits"; Church saints at the rapture; OT & tribulation saints at the 2nd coming. The Unjust at the end of the millennium	Culmination of God's promises to Israel. The millennium will see Christ reign over the world thru the agency of Israel. Modified OT worship will resume in the rebuilt Temple.

The task at hand is now to seek to identify which one of these millennial theories best corresponds with that presented by Spurgeon throughout his ministry. This will be accomplished through an examination of Spurgeon's own works as they relate to this question.

2 Spurgeon's Statements on Eschatology

Introduction

As has been clearly demonstrated, the emphasis in the preaching of Charles H. Spurgeon, certainly did not find its center in the arena of eschatology. The entire idea of using prophecy or "prophetic conferences" as an evangelistic tool, would not have received much of a hearing with him. He also did not see the particular value of extended preaching on prophetic themes as a regular part of the Lord's day services. "A prophetical preacher enlarged so much on 'the little horn' of Daniel, that one Sabbath morning he had but seven hearers remaining."167 He taught his students that their chief concern in preaching should not be prophetical speculations, but rather the gospel message and practical godliness.

Salvation is a theme for which I would fain enlist every holy tongue. I am greedy after witnesses for the glorious gospel of the blessed God. O that Christ crucified were the universal burden of men of God. Your guess at the number of the beast, your Napoleonic speculations, your conjectures concerning a personal Antichrist —forgive me, I count them but mere bones for dogs; while men are dying, and hell is filling, it seems to me the veriest drivel to be muttering about an Armageddon at Sebastopol or Sadowa or Sedan, and peeping between the folded leaves of destiny to discover the fate of Germany. Blessed are they who read and hear the words of the prophecy of the Revelation, but the like blessing has evidently not fallen on those who pretend to expound it, for generation after generation of them have been proven to be in error by the mere lapse of time, and the present race will follow to the same inglorious sepulcher.168

Nonetheless, Spurgeon could say along with the Apostle Paul that he, "did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God" (Acts 20:27). Again his own testimony on this matter is sufficient:

You will bear me witness, my friends, that it is exceedingly seldom I ever intrude into the mysteries of the future with regard either to the second advent, the millennial reign, or the first and second resurrection. As often as we come about it in our expositions, we do not turn aside from the point, but if guilty at all on this point, it is rather in being too silent than saying too much.169

It seems clear that even if Spurgeon's statement on matters of "the second advent, the millennial reign, or the first and second resurrection" were infrequent, they were not imprecise. Spurgeon clearly understood all of the features of eschatology as presented in the Scripture, although he did not give a great deal of his time to their "chronological arrangement." On September 18th, 1876, he presented to the Metropolitan Tabernacle congregation this overview of eschatological events:

I am no prophet, nor the son of a prophet; neither do I profess to be able to explain all the prophecies in this blessed Book. I believe that many of them will only be explained as the events occur which they foretell. Yet there are some things which are plain even to the most superficial reader. It is plain, for instance, that it is certainly foretold that the power of Antichrist shall be utterly and eternally destroyed, and that Babylon, that is to say, the Papal system, with all its abominations, shall be cast like a millstone into the flood, to rise no more for ever. It is also certain that the Jews, as a people, will yet own Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of David, as their King, and that they will return to their own land, "and they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the old cities, the desolations of many generations." It is certain also that our Lord Jesus Christ will come again to this earth, and that he will reign amongst his ancients gloriously, and that there will be a thousand years of joy and peace such as were never known on this earth before. It is also certain that there will be a great and general judgment, when all nations shall be gathered before the Son of man sitting upon the throne of his glory; and his final award concerning those upon his left hand will be, "These shall go away into everlasting punishment;" and concerning those upon his right hand, "but the righteous into eternal life." How all these great events are to be chronologically arranged, I cannot tell170 [emphasis ours].

This tendency of Spurgeon, to reject tightly knit chronological sequences of eschatological events, remained with him his entire life. Drummond gives a good summary of Spurgeon's attitude on the subject:

He refused to spend an inordinate amount of time discussing, for example the relationship of the rapture to the tribulation period, or like points of eschatological nuance. An elaborate dispensational chart would have little or no appeal to Spurgeon. Any dispensational framework that has a tendency to divide the Scriptures into segments, some applicable to contemporary life and some not, did not get his attention at all. He probably would have rejected any such scheme. He kept to the basics of future things.171

It has already been shown eschatology was a secondary issue with Spurgeon; a valuable endeavor, but one which should never "overlay the commonplaces of practical godliness,"172 or start before "first you see to it that your children are brought to the saviour's feet."173 It was also, as has already been demonstrated, not an issue which came between Spurgeon and other major theologians such as Calvin, Hodge, Dixon, etc.

The purpose of this chapter is to examine Spurgeon's statements relating directly and sometimes indirectly to the area of the millennial kingdom and the events surrounding it. As already demonstrated, the vast majority of Spurgeon's statement on this matter are to be found in his sermons; however, his other writings must be consulted as well. In this endeavor this author does not pretend to have read the totality of the Spurgeonic corpus. That legacy took him a lifetime to produce and would take longer to digest and assimilate. An extensive examination of Spurgeon's works has been made; sufficiently thorough, it is hoped, that the contents of this chapter will demonstrate a level of interaction with the Spurgeonic literary legacy sufficient to present a valid conclusion as to his thoughts on this matter. The danger always exists of basing a conclusion on too few passages. Dr. Peter Masters, the current pastor of Spurgeon's Metropolitan Tabernacle and an ardent amillennialist, criticized two writers for just this by drawing conclusions based on too few references.174 This author would not wish to fall victim to the same criticism.

The conclusions offered here are presented decisively, yet with a tentative spirit for as previously stated, there is always room for additional scholarly work and interaction in this area. Since Spurgeon did not attempt to systematize his views on eschatology, the investigator into this area must cull out data from all sources. He must also be careful not to put words into the mouth of Spurgeon or go beyond his thoughts. The critical issue becomes most clearly not only the volume of material interacted with; but also how that material is assimilated and interpreted.

Part One: Spurgeon's Sermons

The primary outlet for Spurgeon's theology was of course his preaching. His preaching style was normally a topical or textual approach, although as one visitor to his home and study remarked about Spurgeon's work:

I was at first surprised to find Mr. Spurgeon consulting both the Hebrew and Greek texts. "They say," said he, "that I am ignorant and unlearned. Well let them say it; and in everything, by my ignorance, and by my knowledge, let God be glorified." His exegesis was seldom wrong. He spared no pains to be sure of the exact meaning of his text.175

Spurgeon was in the broad sense of the term, an expositor of the text of scripture. He was also a great systematizer of thought and theology; and delivered his messages in clear, forthright English. In this section Spurgeon's own statements, as quoted in the introduction, will be utilized and those statements will be examined in three eschatological areas: (1) The Second Advent, (2) The Millennial Reign, and (3) The First and Second Resurrections.

Section A: Spurgeon's Sermons Discussing "The Second Advent of Christ
"The first key feature which Spurgeon identified as foundational eschatological issues is The Second Advent of Christ. That Spurgeon believed in the personal and literal return of Christ to the earth is a fact which cannot be disputed. He looked forward to this great event with anticipation and announced it to his congregation with regularity.

We know that Christ was really, personally, and physically here on earth. But it is not quite so clear to some persons that he is to come, really, personally, and literally the second time. . . Now, we believe that the Christ who shall sit on the throne of his father David, and whose feet shall stand upon Mount Olivet, is as much a personal Christ as the Christ who came to Bethlehem and wept in the manger.176

On June 13, 1869, he told his congregation:

We are to expect the literal advent of Jesus Christ, for he himself by his angel told us, "This same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner [emphasis his] as ye have seen him go into heaven," which must mean literally and in person.177

He also commented on the Second Advent when he told the congregation at New Park Street Chapel:

And, moreover, the Christian may await to-morrow with even more than simple hope and joy; he may look forward to it with ecstasy in some measure, for he does not know but that to- morrow his Lord may come. To-morrow Christ may be upon this earth, "for such an hour as ye think not the Son of Man cometh."178

Spurgeon had a great facility with the English language and his ability to create picturesque scenes in his sermons was unsurpassed. On December 28, 1884, he presented to his congregation:

Our great Captain is still heading the conflict; he has ridden into another part of the field, but he will be back again, perhaps in the twinkling of an eye. . . He went up not in spirit, but in person; he will come down again in person. . . "This same Jesus" literally went up. "This same Jesus" will literally come again. He will descend in clouds even as he went up in clouds; and "he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth" even as he stood beforehand. . . Brethren, do not let anybody spiritualize away all this from you. Jesus is coming as a matter of fact, therefore go down to your sphere of service as a matter of fact.179

He also stated clearly:

Brethren, no truth ought to be more frequently proclaimed, next to the first coming of the Lord, than his second coming; and you cannot thoroughly set forth all the ends and bearings of the first advent if you forget the second. At the Lord's Supper, there is no discerning the Lord's body unless you discern his first coming; but there is no drinking into his cup to its fullness, unless you hear him say, "Until I come." You must look forward, as well as backward. So must it be with all our ministries; they must look to him on the cross and on the throne. We must vividly realize that he,. who has once come, is coming yet again, or else our testimony will be marred, and one- sided. We shall make lame work of preaching and teaching if we leave out either advent.180

Certainly there can be no doubt about Spurgeon's belief in the literal and physical return of Christ. But what did he have to say regarding this thesis' main topic, the Millennial Reign?

Section B: Spurgeon's Sermons Discussing "The Millennial Reign"
Regarding the Millennial reign of Christ, Spurgeon was far from silent. It was not a topic that he gave a great deal of attention to, but when he did speak of it he spoke with a consistent view. In 1865 he stated this:

If I read the word aright, and it is honest to admit that there is much room for difference of opinion here, the day will come, when the Lord Jesus will descend from heaven with a shout, with the trump of the archangel and the voice of God. Some think that this descent of the Lord will be post-millennial — that is, after the thousand years of his reign. I cannot think so. I conceive that the advent will be pre-millennial; that he will come first; and then will come the millennium as the result of his personal reign upon earth181 [emphasis ours].

This comment not only seems to clearly demonstrate Spurgeon's position on the subject, but makes it clear that he was conversant with other millennial positions and their key features. In the same sermon Spurgeon also spoke of the millennial reign in these terms:

Now, while speaking of glory, I think I must divide the glory which God gives to the justified into three parts. There is, first of all, the glory which disembodied spirits are enjoying even now; there is, secondly, the resurrection glory, which they will enjoy when the soul and body shall be re-united, and when, through the millennium, they shall be "for ever with the Lord;" and then there is "the eternal weight of glory," which is to be revealed both in body and soul, in the never-ending state of bliss which God has prepared for his people.182

In another sermon he made this oft-quoted remark regarding the millennial reign:

Just as the twelve tribes, serving God day and night, looked for the first coming, so ought all the tribes of our Israel, day and night, without ceasing, to wait for the Lord from heaven. We are looking for the blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. "Even so, come, Lord Jesus" is the desire of every instructed saint. I shall not go into any details about when he will come: I will not espouse the cause of the pre-millennial or the post-millennial advent; it will suffice me just now to observe that the Redeemer's coming is the desire of the entire church; and "unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation."183

Spurgeon's disclaimer to not "espouse the cause" of two different millennial positions is attributed by Iain Murray as an example of Spurgeon admitting, "a fundamental uncertainty in his mind;"184 however, this seems to be an unwarranted conclusion as pointed out by Masters' in his review of Murray, where he states this passage simply means that Spurgeon, "did not propose to espouse any particular millennial view in that particular sermon."185 Later in the same sermon Spurgeon made this statement:

To my mind the doctrine of the coming of Christ ought to inflame the zeal of every believer who seeks the conversion of his fellow men, and how can he be a believer if he does not seeks this end? The Lord cometh quickly: O sinner come quickly to the Lord, or it may be too late for you to come. We who call you may soon be silenced by his advent, and mercy may have no more to say to you. . . Stand in a Popish country and see them altogether given to their idols, and worshipping crosses and relics, and you will soon cry, "Come Lord Jesus. Let antichrist be hurled like a millstone into the flood, never to rise again." The vehemence of your desire for the destruction of evil and the setting up of the kingdom of Christ will drive you to that grand hope of the church, and make you cry out for its fulfillment.186

Regarding the nature and location of the millennial reign he stated this:

There is, moreover, to be a reign of Christ. I cannot read the Scriptures without perceiving that there is to be a millennial reign, as I believe, upon the earth, and that there shall be new heavens and new earth wherein dwell righteousness.187

He also was not of the opinion that the millennium on earth was to be identified with the eternal existence in heaven. He clearly made a distinction between the two. Beginning a sermon on the text, "Throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it" (Revelation 22:3), he stated, "We shall take these words as referring to heaven. Certainly it is most true of the celestial city, as well as of the millennial city, that the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it"188 [emphasis ours].

Discussing the relation of the timing of the Return of Christ to the millennium; and its necessity to commence that millennium, Spurgeon was certainly clear as he said:

Paul does not paint the future with rose-colour: he is no smooth-tongued prophet of a golden age, into which this dull earth may be imagined to be glowing. There are sanguine brethren who are looking forward to everything growing better and better and better, until, at the last this present age ripens into a millennium. They will not be able to sustain their hopes, for Scripture give them no solid basis to rest upon. We who believe that there will be no millennial reign without the King, and who expect no rule of righteousness except from the appearing of the righteous Lord, are nearer the mark. Apart from the second Advent of our Lord, the world is more likely to sink into pandemonium than to rise into a millennium. A divine interposition seems to me the hope set before us in Scripture, and, indeed, to be the only hope adequate to the situation. We look to the darkening down of things; the state of mankind, however improved politically, may yet grow worse and worse spiritually.189

He also stated this in a sermon while he was at New Park Street Chapel and printed in his sermon series in 1899:

There are some me