Eschatalogue - Does it Matter?
So, the first question for this series is whether it really matters what the Bible teaches about Jesus coming back, and the end of the age. To be honest, for a long time, I did not think that it mattered. My focus was on other issues, mostly my daily life, rather than the end of time. Back in high school, I went to a church with a dispensational theology — I will define that term in due course. This church put a heavy emphasis on the second coming and particularly on the concept of rapture. While I thought that the rapture sounded cool, I still wasn’t convinced that I needed to spend a lot of time on the subject.
While I was till in high school, Edgar Whisenant came out with a booklet titled “88 Reasons Why the Rapture Could Be in 1988.” This was largely a joke to me and some of my friends. My perspective at the time was that if he truly believed the rapture was that imminent, he would have been giving away the book, rather than selling. Apparently, he sold millions of copies. When 1989 rolled around, we were all joking that their were now 89 reasons why the rapture would be in 1989, with the 89th being that it hadn’t happened in 1988. The fact that this was a joke highlights the fact that the rapture in particularly, and eschatology in particular where not high on my agenda.
So, the question remains: Is there a reason to study eschatology. Yes. There is.
In my opinion, the greatest reason to pay attention to the subject is the fact that Jesus spent a significant amount of time teaching about His return and the end of the age, including a final judgment. For example, in the book of Matthew, chapters 24 and 25 make up what is commonly called the Olivet Discourse. These two chapters focus entirely on Jesus’ return, the end of time, and the final judgment. In addition to this, there is considerable teaching by Jesus in other parts of the gospels. The epistles also provide additional coverage, with frequent references to “the Day” being near. Finally, the book of John’s Revelation deals with these themes in the genre of apocalyptic literature.
In short, the study of eschatology matters because the belief in Jesus’ return is a central part of the Christian faith. The Nicene Creed states:
We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven:
by the power of the Holy Spirit
he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary,
and was made man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.
He has spoken through the Prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.
Notice the statements about: Jesus coming again in glory, the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. For centuries, those concepts have been a central aspect of the Christian faith. Even though there has been much disagreement and debate over the particulars of the end times, they are not to be ignored.
This is all just introduction to the importance of studying eschatology. In the next post, I will explain my specific purposes for this study. Different people study the end of time with different goals, my particular goals will shape my study. After that, I will define some commonly used terms. Then, I will describe some of the systems that theologians have developed to explain eschatology. Finally, I will enter the heart of the study that am undertaking and will review the context and meaning of some of the specific passages of Scripture and what they tell us about the End.
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