What would Calvin say?

We also hope that our contemplations transcend those of the monkey, fair as it is. Yes, much luminosity and pulchritude indeed. Boy, I've always wanted a proscenium arch.

Speaking of simian musings. The Minstrel and I were just listening to the MP3 of Dr. John MacArthur's opening address at this years Shepherd's Conference. It's caused quite a flap, which is understandable just given the title. "Why Every Self-Respecting Calvinist is a Premillennialist". Hmm. Indeed, as early as the 11 minute mark (of nearly 80), Dr. MacArthur states his title and comments, "Now, it's too late for Calvin, but it's not too late for the rest of you. And if Calvin were here, he would join our movement."

As I was listening, I thought to myself, "Too bad Calvin's not here, because it sure would be great to ask him if he would, in fact, join the premillennial ranks."

I thought, "Perhaps if there were something that Calvin wrote, indicating his sympathy for premillennial eschatology."

Then I remembered a little book that he wrote called "The Institutes of the Christian Religion"

In Book III, Chapter XXV, Section V, Calvin speaks briefly about the Chialiasts ("millenarians") of the early church. They were the ones who, beginning in the first Century, held to a belief in a literal 1,000 year reign of Christ on the earth, subsequent to His second-advent (pre-millennialism)

Let's see what Calvin says about them;

"Their fiction is too childish either to need or to be worth a refutation."

Oh, dear. That doesn't appear to be very sympathetic at all. At least not according to the "normal meaning" of his words. Maybe I need a new hermeneutic. Or perhaps I missed something. Let's see here... oh, yes. He refers to the book of Revelation.

"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 the earth."

Now just wait a minute. "The number 1,000 applies to the various disturbances that awaited the church." Not a post-millennialist. "That awaited the church while still toiling on the earth." Prior to the second advent. So... not a pre-millennialist either. Calvin was born in 1509, Church still toiling and all. Not a 'literalist' then either, exactly. Hmm.

Well, maybe Dr. MacArthur hasn't actually read the Institutes. It is kinda old.