Spurgeon on the Millennial Question

The great Baptist preacher Charles H. Spurgeon was Premillennial. However, he did not preach much on unfulfilled prophecy and eschatology. John Gill, his predecessor, was Premillennial. Here are some of the proofs for his being Premillennial. One author, Dennis M. Swanson, has researched Spurgeon's works on the matter of the Millennium and he wrote a scholarly work giving us those citations (See here). Said Swanson (emphasis mine):

"The millennial reign of Christ. On the theme of millennial reign of Christ, Spurgeon was far from silent. Though he did not give a great deal of attention to it, when he did, his view was consistent. In 1865 he stated, 

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 earth." (Spurgeon sermon - "Justification and Glory")

Said Swanson:

"This comment not only clarifies Spurgeon's position on the subject, but also shows his familiarity with other millennial positions and their key features. 

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

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. ("For Ever with the Lord")

Says Swanson:

"Iain Murray cites Spurgeon's disclaimer of not espousing the cause of two different millennial positions as an example of Spurgeon admitting "a fundamental uncertainty in his mind." (Citing Iain H. Murray in "The Puritan Hope: Revival and the Interpretation of Prophecy") However, it seems better to understand that Spurgeon was simply declining to elaborate on millennial views in this particular sermon."

"Discussing the relation of the timing of the return of Christ to the millennium and the necessity of its commencing that millennium, he rejected a postmillennial position:

"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 gives 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." ("The Form of Godliness without the Power")

Says Swanson:

"He rejected any notion, however well-intended, that apart from the personal intervention of Christ a millennium would be possible. He called preachers who held to a postmillennial system those who "do not understand the prophecies" and asserted that "the great hope of the future is the coming of the Son of man." Thus it is clear that Spurgeon believed in an earthly millennium founded on and preceded by the Second Advent of Christ." (citing sermon "Jesus Only: A Communion Meditation") 

Swanson goes on to give Spurgeon's view that the righteous and unrighteous would be raised at different times, an essential part of Premillennialism. Says Swanson:

"The resurrection of the dead. A third area of Spurgeon's eschatological interest lay in the resurrections of the just and the wicked. Throughout his ministry he taught separate resurrections of the just and unjust. The discussion above has cited his distinction between "the first and second resurrection." ("The First Resurrection") 

"That he believed in a literal and physical resurrection is undeniable:

Yet this Paul believed, and this he preached—that there would be a resurrection of the dead, both the just and the unjust, not that the just and the unjust would merely live as to their souls, but that their bodies should be restored from the grave, and that a resurrection, as well as an immortality, should be the entail of every man of woman born, whatever his character might be." ("Resurrection for the Just and the Unjust") 

In the same sermon Spurgeon declared the resurrections would be distinct, separated by a period of time: "Notice that this reaping comes first, and I think it comes first in order of time. If I read the Scriptures aright, there are to be two resurrections, and the first will be the resurrection of the righteous." (Ibid.)

Says Swanson:

In 1891 The Sword and Trowel published the statement, nearly half of which dealt with the inspiration and authority of the Scriptures. It closed with the final point: "Our hope is the Personal Pre-Millennial Return of the Lord Jesus in Glory." ("Mr. Spurgeon's Confession of Faith," in The Sword and Trowel)

Says Swanson under "Spurgeon and Historic Premillennialism": 

"Key features of historic premillennialism are twofold: (1) the kingdom will be the culmination of the church age and (2) the "rapture" will follow the tribulation, with the church going through the tribulation under the protection of God."

Spurgeon fits most consistently into the "historic or covenantal premillennial" system. The reasons for this conclusion are the following: First, Spurgeon believed that the church would go through the totality of the tribulation, but be protected."

Like on nearly everything, I agree with Spurgeon. I am an historic Premillennialist, rejecting the pre-tribulation idea as he did. Further, in my view of unfulfilled prophecy, we are on the verge of the great tribulation, that hour of trial that will come on all the earth to try and test all who dwell on the earth. (Rev. 3: 10)