Strom/Mowery Debate on Premillenialism

 
 
 Proposition: 
 The thousand years of Rev 20 are real literal years that start 
 with the literal return of Christ and the real resurrection of 
 the righteous as described in 1Thess 4 and Rev 20.
 
 Affirmed:  Bob Strom
 Deny:   Dub Mowery
 
 Dub Mowery here:
 
 Bob, in all due respect, you have failed to provide passages of 
 scripture anywhere in the entire Bible to uphold your 
 interpretation of Revelation 20:1-6 as pertaining to the literal 
 second coming of Christ and the real resurrection of the 
 righteous dead.  Not only have you failed to provide a single 
 passage elsewhere to uphold your theory, but you have read more 
 in those six verses than are actually there.  Premillennialists 
 of all stripes fail to approach the book of Revelation as having 
 been written primarily in symbolic language.  It is definitely in 
 a literary form known as apocalyptic, which means that it is put 
 forth by a series of visions in symbolic language.  For a person 
 to give lip service in acknowledging that truth and then turn 
 right around and attempt to force literal interpretations to 
 symbolic language is inexcusable.  Bob, the truth of the matter 
 is, to force a literal interpretation of figurative language 
 opens a Pandora's box of error.
 
 To properly approach the entire Bible as being the inspired Word 
 of God, we must realize that it does not contradict itself.  
 Therefore, for you to interpret chapters 19 and 20 of Revelation 
 in such a way that contradicts other passages of scripture proves 
 your claims of those two chapters to be unfounded.  Jesus Christ 
 did not promise to prepare us a place in heaven for only 1,000 
 years.  He promised to prepare for us a place in His Father's 
 house (John 14:1-6).  Where did the Son of God go to prepare a 
 place for the redeemed?  The answer:  "So then after the Lord had 
 spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the 
 right hand of God" (Mark 16:19).  This heaven of heavens is in 
 the spiritual realm.  God is a spirit, not a physical being (John 
 4:24).  No flesh and blood can inherit the eternal kingdom of God 
 in heaven (I Cor. 15:50-57).  How long will the redeemed remain 
 in the heavenly home?  It will NOT be for a mere 1,000 years, but 
 forever (II Cor. 5:1-9).  That passage also reveals that as long 
 as we inhabit a physical body we are absent from the Lord.  The 
 New Testament speaks of the child of God having one hope (Eph. 
 4:4).  We inquire:  "Is this one hope that the spiritually saved 
 will live in heaven for only 1,000 years and then live upon a 
 renovated earth forever?  Or, that the redeemed will live in 
 heaven forever?"  We are not left in the dark in this matter.  We 
 are not to set our affection upon a physical earth, but in glory 
 where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God (Col. 3:1-4; Matt. 
 6:19-21).  The one hope for Christians is stated as follows:  
 "For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven..." (Col. 1:5).  
 How long will that hope of a child of God being in heaven exist?  
 "That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs 
 according to the hope of eternal life"  (Titus 3:7).
 
 Your attempt to prove a separate resurrection of the righteous 
 from that of the unrighteous by a thousand year period 
 contradicts plain passages that reveal a simultaneous 
 resurrection.  Talking about perverting a passage of scripture, 
 this is exactly what you did with I Thessalonians 4:16.  It 
 would be amusing except it deals with eternal matters.  
 Grammatically, you are abusing the context of verses 16 and 17 by 
 bringing in a second resurrection that is not even being 
 discussed in I Thessalonians.  That is a pathetic way of 
 attempting to prove two resurrections of the dead.  Again, the 
 Apostle Paul was dealing with a misconception within the church 
 at Thessalonica as to whether or not the righteous dead would 
 miss out on the eternal home in heaven at the second coming of 
 Christ.  The Apostle Paul answers that misconception by pointing 
 out that "...the dead in Christ shall rise first:" We inquire:  
 "First before what?"  Paul answers in the immediate context that 
 it is before the righteous living rises in the air to meet the 
 Lord.  Both the resurrected dead and those righteous who were 
 living at the second coming of Christ shall rise together to meet 
 the Lord in the air.  Hear the inspired Words of verse 17, "Then 
 we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with 
 them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we 
 ever be with the Lord."
 
 The scripture definitely teaches that the resurrection of the 
 dead at the second coming of Christ will be a general 
 resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous.  There is 
 not any way that you can discredit the words of the Lord 
 concerning the resurrection of both the righteous and the 
 unrighteous dead taking place at the same time.  When He uses the 
 word "hour", it refers to a precise time.  Consider again the 
 Words of our Lord, "Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, 
 in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And 
 shall come forth; they that have done good unto the resurrection 
 of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of 
 damnation"  (John 5:28-29).  At Acts 24:15, the Apostle Paul 
 speaks of a resurrection in the following words, "And have hope 
 toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall 
 be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust."  
 Note that he speaks of a resurrection of the just and unjust.  It 
 is a singular resurrection rather than two resurrections.
 
 Bob, you have failed to prove your proposition that the thousand 
 years of Revelation the 20th chapter are real literal years that 
 start with the literal return of Christ and the real resurrection 
 of the righteous.  Nor were you able to prove that the fourth 
 chapter of I Thessalonians has reference to the first 
 resurrection discussed at Revelation 20:4-6.
 
 It is my prayer that you will see the fallacy of your 
 unscriptural position in this matter.
 
 Sincerely, 
 Dub Mowery