Monday, July 10, 2023

It is the 10th of July 2023. Welcome to the Christian History Almanac brought to you by 1517 at 1517.org, I’m Dan van Voorhis.

A happy Monday- should I talk about Baseball? No- because it's dumb and causes nothing but pain. Ok.

A little-known rule here at the Almanac is that is you are the president of a Seminary and/or college, and you ask a mailbag question you go to the front of the line. It’s right there in our charter. And so- Wade, President of the Free Lutheran Bible College and Seminary. I should have gone there because of the debt I racked up at my Lutheran college…. Kidding, of course, a “Free” church means it is not an established or state church.

It is in Plymouth, Minnesota- home of James Laurinaitus, who was not only one of my favorite Linebackers on the Rams, but his dad was one of the WWE’s Road Warriors. Also, it's the home of Select Comfort- they make the Sleepnumber Bed, which along with my Chevy Volt, is the best thing I’ve ever spent a little bit of money on.

I mentioned on an earlier show the Lutheran pietists- the historical movement was comprised of “Post Millennial” believers. He knew that in America, some were “Pre-millennial” believers and wondered if I could sort that out.

Sure thing! Real fast- the “millennium” refers to the “thousand years” in Revelation 20 verse 12. It is either a literal or figurative thousand-year reign of peace on earth. If you are “post,” you think Jesus comes “post” or after this millennium which would be brought about by the church. This is the optimistic view. If you are “pre,” you believe that Jesus comes “pre” or before the millennium- he has to usher it in because things have gotten so bad. This is the pessimistic view.

During the Reformation and the confessions that came from them, the theologians tended to leave this topic- “eschatology,” as it's called, alone. It was enough to say that Jesus would return physically, and his new kingdom would have no end.

The Lutheran confessions did, however, single out those who had the opinion that humanity would somehow create a kingdom here on earth- they were countering the radicals who believed they could form the Kingdom of God on earth in this age. So, if anything, the Lutherans were the closest to saying “no Post Millennial theology” (please note that “pre” and “post” Millennial are terms invented in the 19th century, but the ideas are older).

The Lutheran Pietists, among other things, believed that some of the other Lutherans were far too pessimistic about humanity's sinful nature and didn’t emphasize the positive work of the spirit in the life of Christians.  And they would form institutions like schools and orphanages for a better life on earth- here and now. So this would easily graft onto the “Post Millennial” end times teaching.

But Wade thought they were Pre-Millennial- and this is because he is in Minnesota and with the Association of Free Lutheran Churches- the AMERICAN Lutheran church- especially the Free Churches, when they borrowed from the broader American church absorbed its “Pre-Millennial” teachings- that is, the more pessimistic teaching. And it was the American Lutheran Pietist tradition which pointed out the confessions taught against “Post” Millennial teaching but did not teach against “Pre” Millennial teaching- and so we find the Lutheran Pietist tradition in America is “Pre” and the European “Post.” Confusing- but, like most Reformation traditions, eschatology is usually a “second-order” doctrine; that is, it isn’t primary. During the End Times craze of the late 70s, brought on by the likes of “The Late Great Planet Earth” by Hal Lindsay and then the “Left Behind” books, many in the Lutheran and Reformed worlds wondered, “What do we believe about this?” Some churches just shrugged. And so the dominant theology in the broader Evangelical world became that of the Lutheran and Reformed world. It’s older, but I still recommend “The Meaning of the Millennium: 4 Views” by Robert Clouse. There is also a Concordia Popular Commentary on Revelation by Louis Brighton- a simplified version of his massive Commentary (which is also good). Thanks for the question, Wade, and thanks to your state of Minnesota for the Culvers- the custard really was tops- perhaps the best fast food dessert.

The last word for today comes from, wait for it- a CHA first- Song of Songs- do with it what you will and maybe ask your friends or pastor how to understand it:

Listen! My beloved!
    Look! Here he comes,

leaping across the mountains,

    bounding over the hills.

My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag.

    Look! There he stands behind our wall,

gazing through the windows,

    peering through the lattice.

My beloved spoke and said to me,

    “Arise, my darling,

    my beautiful one, come with me.

See! The winter is past;

    the rains are over and gone.

Flowers appear on the earth;

    the season of singing has come,

the cooing of doves

    is heard in our land.

The fig tree forms its early fruit;

    the blossoming vines spread their fragrance.

Arise, come, my darling;

    my beautiful one, come with me.”

This has been the Christian History Almanac for the 10th of July 2023, brought to you by 1517 at 1517.org.

The show is produced by a man leaping over the mountains, bounding over the hills- like a gazelle- he is Christopher Gillespie.

The show is written and read by quite encouraged by the flood of emails over last weekend’s show- thanks, y’all. I’m Dan van Voorhis.

You can catch us here every day- and remember that the rumors of grace, forgiveness, and the redemption of all things are true…. Everything is going to be ok.