There are many reasons why someone would blog about eschatology:

• To establish their own views as the only correct view
• To identify the “antichrist”
• To predict the date of the second coming
• To prove they are smarter than everyone else
• To further endless debate

I am sure that there are other reasons as well. However, none of these are my reasons for this series. I have a couple of reasons:

To Reach My Own Conclusions

As I stated in the introduction to this series, I have not taken a firm position on eschatology. I hope through this series to come closer to making my own conclusions about what scripture teaches on this subject. I hope to do this primarily through examining what scripture teaches, and by comparing the major views on eschatology with the teaching of scripture.

To Examine a Doctrinal Statement

My church is part of the Evangelical Free Church of America. Their Statement of Faith states that the EFCA believes:

In the personal and premillennial and imminent coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and that this “Blessed Hope” has a vital bearing on the personal life and service of the believer.

The EFCA is a church that tries to “major on the majors and minor on the minors.” In other words, they try to keep their doctrinal statement to those items that Christians can agree on, while allowing grace and freedom in areas where there is legitimate room for disagreement within orthodoxy. It has always troubled me that the issue of premillennialism is an issue that they believe is important enough to keep in the doctrinal statement. It always struck me that the issue was not as central as say believer’s baptism vs. infant baptism, or Calvinist theology vs. Arminian theology. However, those distinctions are not addressed in the Statement of Faith.

I want to be able to firmly agree with this position. I believe that I am in agreement, but frankly I always express reservation on it, because I do not have a firm conviction on the issue.

Glorify Jesus

Yes, I know. This one should be first. It is implied as the most important, but sounds trite to list first. However, it is my sincere hope that studying Jesus’ triumphant return as the bridegroom (to mix Biblical images) will lead to a greater understanding of His glory, and will cause His return to truly be my “Blessed Hope.”

Build Up Christ’s Church

Paul writes that:

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (ESV)

It is my hope that my study of this subject will be profitable both to my own faith, and to that of others. I do not want this series to break down into endless disputes over the finer points of various doctrinal disputes. If the study is not for the Glory of God and the building up of the church, then it is not worthy to be published. In fact, I will likely abandon it if descends into useless disputes.

Those are my goals. I will do my best to structure the study to accomplish those four goals and to avoid anything that prevents those goals from being accomplished.