Spurgeon's eschatology

[agedman]

It has been stated on the BB that Spurgeon was not pre-mil.

Personally, I think such statements are in grave error.

This was copied from here and is posted below with highlights added to show he most certainly was pre-mil and possibly leaned toward a dispensation view as well.

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]. (bold mine)​

This is but a small cut and paste of Spurgeon's thinking on Eschatology, but it is enough to show the truth of what this man considered essential to the thinking a believer should have about the last days.

 

[Iconoclast]

It has been stated on the BB that Spurgeon was not pre-mil.

Personally, I think such statements are in grave error.

This was copied from here and is posted below with highlights added to show he most certainly was pre-mil and possibly leaned toward a dispensation view as well.

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]. (bold mine)​

This is but a small cut and paste of Spurgeon's thinking on Eschatology, but it is enough to show the truth of what this man considered essential to the thinking a believer should have about the last days.

CHS was Historic Premill.

 

[TCassidy]

Spurgeon was Chiliast, or Historic Premil. He was probably post trib as are most Historic Chiliasts.

 

[Reformed]

CHS was Historic Premill.

To be fair, eschatology took on greater importance after Dispensationalism had been on the scene for a few decades. Prior to that it wasn't the burning issue that it is with some today. That is not to minimize its importance.

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[Iconoclast]

To be fair, eschatology took on greater importance after Dispensationalism had been on the scene for a few decades. Prior to that it wasn't the burning issue that it is with some today. That is not to minimize its importance.

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Yes....do not forget the downgrade controversy was a major distraction;

Here are some quotes from the Spurgeon Archives

That the pre-millennial hope came to the fore in Spurgeon's closing years is not surprising. For it was then that he fought the cruel battle of the Down-Grade, when disbelief in any personal advent of Christ began to be heard in the church and when the idea of "progress" became a hallmark of liberalism.300

The issues of a "normal hermeneutic" and the "purpose of God in human history" are beyond the scope of this thesis; but the key issue of the distinction of Israel and the Church is not, and it is on this issue that Spurgeon distances himself from Dispensational Premillennialism.

Spurgeon rejected any notion which separated the people of God into separate camps, as taught by Darby and dispensational teaching. In a clear reference to the teaching of Dispensationalists on this point, he clearly rejected this notion in a sermon when he said:

Throughout Murray's essay, it seems that he is arguing the fact that Spurgeon was not a "dispensational premillennialist." With this conclusion there can be no disagreement; however, to be premillennial is not to require one to also be dispensational.

Although "there has been a decided tendency to equate Spurgeon with the whole premillennial, dispensational system of Darby, Scofield, and others;"306 this position is also untenable on several counts. While affirming that Spurgeon was in fact premillennial, the evidence is also clear that "not all premillennialists are dispensational."

Spurgeon rejected any notion which separated the people of God into separate camps, as taught by Darby and dispensational teaching. In a clear reference to the teaching of Dispensationalists on this point, he clearly rejected this notion in a sermon when he said:
Distinctions have been drawn by certain exceedingly wise men (measured by their own estimate of themselves), between the people of God who lived before the coming of Christ, and those who lived afterwards. We have even heard it asserted that those who lived before the coming of Christ do not belong to the church of God! We never know what we shall hear next, and perhaps it is a mercy that these absurdities are revealed at one time, in order that we may be able to endure their stupidity without dying of amazement. Why, every child of God in every place stands on the same footing; the Lord has not some children best beloved, some second-rate offspring, and others whom he hardly cares about. These who saw Christ's day before it came, had a great difference as to what they knew, and perhaps in the same measure a difference as to what they enjoyed while on earth meditating upon Christ; but they were all washed in the same blood, all redeemed with the same ransom price, and made members of the same body. Israel in the covenant of grace is not natural Israel, but all believers in all ages. Before the first advent, all the types and shadows all pointed one way —they pointed to Christ, and to him all the saints looked with hope. Those who lived before Christ were not saved with a different salvation to that which shall come to us. They exercised faith as we must; that faith struggled as ours struggles, and that faith obtained its reward as ours shall310 [emphasis ours].
That Spurgeon sees the Church and Israel united "spiritually", there can be no mistake. The same point is made in a Sword and Trowel article of 1866 entitled, "Jerusalem which is Above."311 It can also clearly be seen in Spurgeon's Treasury of David, that he viewed the church as the recipient of the kingdom promises of God. Also in his commentary on Matthew, while not stating so specifically, Spurgeon strongly indicates his belief that the church would go through the tribulation, being preserved and protected by the power of God.

While there are many features relating to dispensationalism on which Spurgeon is either silent or says very little; those features are not central to the issue.312 On the central feature of dispensational premillennialism, Spurgeon does not hold to the distinction of Israel and the Church that would be common to a "classic dispensational" approach. For Spurgeon the millennial kingdom was the culmination of God's program for the Church.

 

[Iconoclast]

from the archives;

That Spurgeon sees the Church and Israel united "spiritually", there can be no mistake. The same point is made in a Sword and Trowel article of 1866 entitled, "Jerusalem which is Above."311 It can also clearly be seen in Spurgeon's Treasury of David, that he viewed the church as the recipient of the kingdom promises of God. Also in his commentary on Matthew, while not stating so specifically, Spurgeon strongly indicates his belief that the church would go through the tribulation, being preserved and protected by the power of God.

At this point only two possible conclusions remain: first, that Spurgeon had a completely unique view of the millennium not consistent with any of the "Contemporary Options" as Erickson called them, or secondly that Spurgeon most closely adhered to what has been defined as the Historic or Covenantal Premillennial position. There is no evidence for the idea that Spurgeon held to a position on the millennium unique to himself; so the purpose of this section will be to demonstrate the contention of this thesis that Spurgeon did hold a Historic or Covenantal Premillennial view.

When examining the "historic premillennial" position it was observed that there were essentially two key features: (1) The nature of the kingdom being 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; nationally converted Israel is simply a continuation of the "single-people of God"; and (2) The "rapture" will be after the tribulation, with the church going through the tribulation, but being protected by the power of God. Ladd also delineates this millennial position when he states:
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.327

 

[Martin Marprelate]

Some years ago I attended some meetings at the Metropolitan tabernacle in London and heard its current Pastor, Peter Masters, speaking on Spurgeon's eschatological views.
I can't remember it all now, but Spurgeon's view was very idiosyncratic, and his premillennial reign of Christ seemed not to have an end.

 

[Iconoclast]

Some years ago I attended some meetings at the Metropolitan tabernacle in London and heard its current Pastor, Peter Masters, speaking on Spurgeon's eschatological views.
I can't remember it all now, but Spurgeon's view was very idiosyncratic, and his premillennial reign of Christ seemed not to have an end.

From the archives;

It seems that Spurgeon preferred to stay on the "too silent" side of eschatological issues, in the great tradition of the Reformers (e.g. Calvin, Luther, Zwingli, Knox, et al). He lived in an age where speculation on the return of Christ was rampant. The Millerite movement of the United States had crossed the Atlantic; and, again there was a wave of excitement about the setting of dates and speculation on exactly when Jesus would return. This was especially true in the early part of his ministry in the middle and late 1860's.

Spurgeon took the words of Acts 1:7, "It is not for you to know the times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority," very seriously. He viewed any prophetic speculation that delved into these areas to be unprofitable at best and dangerously wicked at worst. Even in his own day there were those who attempt to misuse his name and stature to give credence to their views on things eschatological. One false publication, with Spurgeon's name affixed, declared his belief that Jesus would return in 1866. When he heard of this he wasted no time in condemning the action and informing his congregation that, "you will hear of me in Bedlam when you hear such rubbish as that from me."362

http://www.spurgeon.org/eschat.php#ans2