WHAT'S IMPORTANT IN STUDIES OF THE LAST DAYS?

            IT MIGHT REQUIRE A MILLENNIUM JUST TO SORT OUT LAST-DAYS PROBLEMS AND QUESTIONS.  (PLEASE FORGIVE THE “ALL-CAPS.”  I AM RECOVERING FROM SHOULDER SURGERY, AND I AM TYPING WITH ONE HAND.  ALL-CAPS AVOIDS THE HASSLE OF STOPPING TO CAPITALIZE.)  AS I SAID, EVEN IF YOU DON’T BELIEVE IN A 1000-YEAR EARTHLY REIGN OF CHRIST, YOU MIGHT NEED ONE TO STUDY ESCHATOLOGY (STUDY OF LAST THINGS).  THERE ARE NUMEROUS CATEGORIES OF PROBLEMS AND NUMEROUS METHODOLOGIES AND APPROACHES TO SCRIPTURE.  THERE ARE MANY CONTROVERSIES AND, SOMETIMES, BITTER DISPUTES.  ALL OF THESE ISSUES CAN OVERWHELM ONE.  THIS ESSAY CERTAINLY WILL BE LIMITED IN SORTING THE PROBLEMS OUT, BUT I SHALL LIST WHAT I BELIEVE ARE SOME OF THE CENTRAL FOCUSES IN THE STUDY OF LAST THINGS.

1.      WHAT IS THE APPROACH TO SCRIPTURE?  I HAVE BEEN READING A VOLUME THAT PURPORTS TO BE A “HANDBOOK” OF ESCHATOLOGY.  YET, IT CONTAINS ONE CHAPTER ON “FUNDAMENTALIST” AND ONE ON “PENTECOSTAL AND CHARISMATIC”    ESCHATOLOGY.  THESE ARE THE ONLY CHAPTERS THAT TAKE SOME OF THE TRADITIONAL ISSUES OF BIBLICAL ESCHATOLOGY SOMEWHAT SERIOUSLY.  THE OTHER CHAPTERS THAT ADDRESS CHRISTIAN VIEWS APPROACH SCRIPTURE FROM THE VIEWPOINT OF 20^TH-CENTURY HIGHER CRITICISM.  THAT UNDERSTANDING HAS NO REGARD FOR SUPERNATURAL, SPIRIT-DIRECTED PROPHECY.  ALMOST NONE OF THE CATEGORIES OF ESCHATOLOGY ARE TAKEN SERIOUSLY BY THOSE WITH THAT APPROACH TO SCRIPTURE.  AT ANOTHER EXTREME, I READ A LENGTHY TOME BY AN AUTHOR WITH A TRADITIONAL VIEWPOINT.  HE ARGUED THAT THE APPROACH OF THAT PARTICULAR SCHOOL WAS TO TAKE SCRIPTURE LITERALLY.  ANY WHO DISAGREED WITH HIS CONCLUSIONS EITHER WERE THEOLOGICAL LIBERALS OR, AT BEST, OVER-SPIRITUALIZERS.  THIS KIND OF ATTACK IS UNFAIR AND INACCURATE.  PEOPLE WHO HOLD A HIGH VIEW OF SCRIPTURE CAN HAVE SOME VERY PRONOUNCED DIFFERENCES IN ESCHATOLOGY.  SO, I ACCEPT SCRIPTURE AS THE INSPIRED WORD OF GOD.  THAT IS IMPORTANT, BUT IT IS ONLY A FIRST STEP IN ESCHATOLOGY.

2.      WHAT WAS FULFILLED IN THE ROMAN DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM AND THE JEWISH TEMPLE IN AD 70?  IN THE 19^TH CENTURY, J. S. RUSSELL PROPOSED AN APPROACH TO VARIOUS PROPHECIES THAT IS NOW CALLED THE PRETERIST INTERPRETATION (IN THE PAROUSIA, 1878 AND 1887—FROM SPROUL).  THIS UNDERSTANDING IS THAT ALL THE VARIOUS PROPHECIES THAT ARE USUALLY BELIEVED TO REFER TO THE END TIMES HAVE BEEN FULFILLED BY THE EVENTS OF AD 69-70.  R. C. SPROUL, IN THE LAST DAYS ACCORDING TO JESUS, DEVELOPS A VERSION OF THIS, WHICH HE CALLS “PARTIAL PRETERISM.”  HANK HANEGRAAFF (THE RADIO “BIBLE ANSWER MAN”) DEFENDS A SIMILAR VIEW IN THE APOCALYPSE CODE.  THIS APPROACH ALSO FIGURES INTO THE THINKING OF SOME POST- AND A-MILLENNIALISTS.  (IT IS ALSO SIMILAR TO THE “REALIZED ESCHATOLOGY” OF DODD.)  THE ARGUMENTS DEVELOPED BY THE PRETERISTS ARE CONVINCING TO MANY.  IF ONE ACCEPTS THEIR HERMENEUTIC, THEN ONE’S ESCHATOLOGY IS DRASTICALLY CHANGED.  THERE IS NO GREAT TRIBULATION, NO FUTURE ANTICHRIST, AND, FOR SOME, NO RESURRECTION!  OBVIOUSLY, IN A FLOW CHART OF HOW ONE APPROACHES PROPHECY, A DEFINITE DECISION POINT IS THE QUESTION THE PRETERISTS RAISE.

3.      WHEN AND WHAT IS THE MILLENNIUM?  ALTHOUGH I, PERSONALLY, PERFER TO PUT THIS QUESTION OFF, I RECOGNIZE THAT IT HAS BEEN A VERY BIG BONE FOR THE DOGS TO FIGHT OVER.  THE THREE PREFIXES SAY A LOT:  PRE-, POST-, AND A-MILLENNIALISTS BELIEVE THAT CHRIST’S SECOND COMING WILL OCCUR BEFORE OR AFTER THE 1000 YEAR REIGN OF CHRIST (REVELATION 20:1-6) OR ELSE THERE WILL BE NO LITERAL 1000 YEAR REIGN.  HOWEVER, THE TIMING OF THE SECOND COMING AND THE MILLENNIUM IS NOT THE ONLY ISSUE INVOLVED IN THESE VIEWPOINTS.  THAT BRINGS US TO THE NEXT ISSUE.

4.      WHAT IS THE NATURE OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD?  THE LIBERALS OF THE 19^TH CENTURY BROUGHT JESUS’ TEACHINGS ON THE KINGDOM INTO SHARP FOCUS.  THE DISPENSATIONALISTS BROUGHT ANOTHER APPROACH TO THE KINGDOM.  ALMOST EVERYONE TALKS ABOUT THE KINGDOM, BUT MY IMPRESSION IS THAT THERE IS GREAT CONFUSION.  HOW ONE UNDERSTANDS THE KINGDOM DEFINITELY HAS AN AFFECT ON ONE’S ESCHATOLOGY (AND ONE’S VIEW OF THE MILLENNIUM).  THAT UNDERSTANDING ALSO AFFECTS THE NEXT ISSUE.

5.      WHAT IS THE ROLE OF ISRAEL IN GOD’S PLANS?  IN RECENT YEARS VARIOUS “EVANGELICAL” PREACHERS HAVE MADE HEADLINES BY ADVOCATING RADICAL SUPPORT FOR THE NATION OF ISRAEL (SEE MY NOTE AT THE END).  THE GENERAL PUBLIC HAS NOT BEEN SCHOOLED IN THE TRADIONAL DISPENSATIONALIST TEACHINGS ABOUT “SHEEP NATIONS” AND “GOAT NATIONS” (BASED ON ONE OF MANY INTERPRETATIONS OF MATTHEW 25:31-46), AND, THEREFORE, MANY OF THEM ARE MYSTIFIED BY THESE PREACHERS.  THE TRADITIONAL DISPENSATIONAL BELIEF IS THE PROPHETIC PROGRAM OF GOD IS ABOUT THE NATION OF ISRAEL.  THIS IS WHY SOME URGE SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL.  THE CHURCH, ON A PROPHETIC TIME LINE, IS A PARENTHETICAL PAUSE IN THAT TIME LINE.  AT THE END OF THAT PARENTHESIS, THE CHURCH WILL BE RAPTURED, AND GOD’S DEALINGS WITH ISRAEL WILL RECOMMENCE.  THOUGH THAT APPROACH HAS BEEN TAUGHT FOR MANY YEARS, I BELIEVE IT CREATES SOME PROBLEMS.  FOR EXAMPLE, THE BOOK OF HEBREWS INDICATES AN END TO AND A FULFILLMENT OF THE OLD TESTAMENT IN CHRIST.  EPHESIANS 1:9-10 AND 2:11-22 DESCRIBE HOW CHRIST HAS BROUGHT TOGETHER ONE PEOPLE OF GOD.  WE SEE THIS SYMBOLIZED IN THE NEW JERUSALEM, WHICH WILL HAVE THE NAMES OF THE 12 TRIBES OF ISRAEL INSCRIBED ON ITS GATES AND THE NAMES OF THE 12 APOSTLES ON ITS FOUNDATIONS (REVELATION 21:12-14).  THESE PROBLEMS ARE KNOTTY AND MUST BE DEALT WITH.

6.      WHAT EVENTS LEAD UP TO THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST?  THIS QUESTION ENCOMPASSES MANY OF THE QUESTIONS THAT EXCITE STUDENTS OF PROPHECY MORE THAN ANY OTHERS.  WHAT IS THE 70^TH WEEK OF DANIEL?  WHAT IS THE ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION?  WHO IS THE ANTICHRIST?  WHO ARE THE 144,000?  ONE PARTICULAR QUESTION IS OF SPECIAL IMPORTANCE, AND I MAKE IT MY LAST IN THE LIST OF WHAT IS IMPORTANT IN LAST-DAY STUDY.

7.      WHEN DOES THE RAPTURE OCCUR?  THE RAPTURE IS THE TRANSFORMATION OF LIVING CHRISTIANS SO THAT THEY HAVE RESURRECTION BODIES AND THEIR SIMULTANEOUS TRANSPORT TO MEET CHRIST IN THE AIR.  THE TRADITIONAL, DISPENSATIONALIST ANSWER IS THAT THE RAPTURE TAKES PLACE SEVEN YEARS BEFORE CHRIST’S RETURN TO EARTH.  THERE ARE A NUMBER OF OTHER VIEWPOINTS.  SOME ADVOCATE FOR A MID-TRIBULATION RAPTURE, AND OTHERS FOR A POST-TRIBULATION RAPTURE.  SOME DO NOT ACCEPT THE CONCEPT OF A TRIBULATION, AND SO THE TERMINOLOGY BREAKS DOWN FOR THEM.  OF ALL THE CONTROVERSIES SURROUNDING PROPHECY, THIS ONE IS MOST RELEVANT TO THE CHURCH.  THE QUESTION WOULD BE:  WILL THE CHURCH GO THROUGH THE TRIBULATION, AND IF SHE DOES, IS SHE READY?

 

WELL, THAT IS THE LIST!  IT COULD CERTAINLY BE LENGTHENED.  I THINK THERE IS ENOUGH

THERE TO KEEP ANY WHO IS INTERESTED BUSY FOR A LONG TIME—IF NOT A MILLENNIUM.

            NEXT TIME:  BEGINNING TO STUDY MATTHEW 24-25.

 

NOTE:  I PUT “EVANGELICAL” IN QUOTATION MARKS.  IT IS AN ABUSED TERM THAT HAS BEEN STRIPPED OF THE GREAT HONOR IT ONCE HELD.