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Thursday, April 25, 2024

The Return of Christ – Eschatology: Part 2

Welcome to my blog. Thank you for visiting.

Christ’s return is our great hope of salvation and a glorious eternity with God. Consequently, the study of eschatology (end times) is critical to understanding our salvation and is a great blessing (Revelation 1:3). Although the exact nature of Christ's return is a controversial topic among both theologians, it is important to base our beliefs on scripture.

Let us return to discussing the exciting events leading to the second coming of Christ. Following the rapture, which we discussed in the last blog, begins the time of the tribulation. The tribulation is a future period of intense suffering and divine judgment prophesied in Christian eschatology.

The tribulation (2 Thessalonians 1:5-2:12; Revelation chapters 4-18: Matthew 24:4-28; Dani e l 9:27; Isaiah 24)

This is a seven-year period of God’s wrath upon the world to bring final judgment before the second coming of Christ, which occurs at the end of tribulation. It is a time of terrible suffering not yet experienced prior to that time (Matthew 24:21). Yet God will graciously allow the gospel to go forward to the world during this time, still giving unbelievers an opportunity to repent (Matthew 24:14).

The tribulation is covered in several important Bible passages but can be challenging to interpret because each contains different important events that can be difficult to summarize in one timeline. However, these passages have different emphases, which are important to recognize. Consequently, we will mention each separately:

o Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24-25) – This is the instruction about the end times Christ gave to the disciples just before His death. It includes worldwide events but has a particularly Jewish slant.

§ First half (Matthew 24:4-14) – The seven-year tribulation begins with the first 3½ years marked by war, rumors of war, hatred, persecution, horrifying natural events, and false prophets. We know from other scripture that the tribulation begins with the rapture of church-age believers. However, this event is not mentioned in the Olivet Discourse, probably because the church was not yet known when our Savior gave this instruction.

§ Abomination of desolation (Matthew 24:15-31) – The abomination of desolation occurs at the midpoint of the tribulation (thus beginning the 2^nd 3½ year period) when the antichrist stops the temple worship leaving the altar desolate as predicted in the Old Testament (Dani e l 9:27). Importantly, at this time Christ states those in Jerusalem should immediately flee to the mountains, as well as look and be prepared for His return after an additional 3½ years.

o Revelation 5-18 -The tribulation described in the Book of Revelation provides generally a more detailed worldwide explanation regarding the nations than the Olivet Discourse. Several themes appear to run concurrently in the revelation and are chronological, but how they relate to each other exactly in time can be difficult to determine:

§ Worldwide judgments (chapters 5-16) – These are the seal, bowl, and trumpet judgments that appear to occur sequentially throughout the tribulation but with unknown timing. There are seven judgments under each. They generally describe natural disasters, war, and plagues as a judgment upon the earth.

§ Sealing of the 144,000 (chapter 7) – These are Jewish believers from the 12 tribes of Israel who are sealed by God during the tribulation. They will go forth to the whole world to testify of God, and most or all will be martyred.

§ The two witnesses (chapter 11) – These are two witnesses who preach to the world during the tribulation. They are martyred in Jerusalem and are resurrected after 3 days to the consternation of the world.

Ø Killing the two witnesses (Revelation 11:7) – The antichrist is first mentioned in the revelation as ascending out of the pit and destroying the two witnesses, causing great joy on the (unbelieving) earth.

§ The spiritual war (chapter 12) – This passage details the efforts of Satan to destroy the Christ child and Israel to prevent salvation and his own destruction.

§ The antichrist (Revelation 13; The Beast (Man of lawlessness or sin, son of perdition) – His program will be empowered by Satan and include:

Ø Personal worship (chapter 13) – He will display miracles causing people to follow and worship him. A part of this program will be the abomination of desolation in the Jewish temple at the midpoint of the tribulation (2 Thessalonians 2:4; Matthew 24:15; Daniel 9:27).

Ø Control commerce (chapter 13) – He will do this in part by the ‘mark of the beast’ which will not allow people to participate in commerce unless they have submitted to him.

§ Attempted world domination – His effort to control the world will help lead to the battle of Armageddon (chapter 16).

· Babylon (chapter 17 and 18) – The organized world system, which originated from the Tower of Babel, will be destroyed. This includes commercial interests and may include a religious component as well. Babylon’s downfall represents the end of the long battle between God and the principles of the kingdom of the world, as represented by ancient Babylon.

Thanks be to God and our Savior Jesus Christ for such a great salvation given as a free gift through our faith in Christ’s sacrificial death and resurrection.

Thanks for visiting my blog. Join me next time as we discuss our blessed hope, the return of Christ, and eternity.

William C. Stewart, MD

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Disclaimer - This blog and its content are provided only as information and are intended for visitors 18 and older. No content on the website should be taken as advice or recommendation to any personal or institutional situation. The views expressed are those of the author alone and not necessarily either shared or endorsed by Teleios. Both the blog and the contents are subject to change at any time without notice. Although I endeavor to ensure that the blog and the content are current and accurate, it may contain errors. I do not represent that the blog or the content is current, accurate or complete, or appropriate for your specific requirements. I do not accept any liability from any person for the blog, the content or any other information (or the use of such information) I provide. I do not have a seminary degree, but I have trained myself in the scriptures to teach and provide this information. For any specific question, I suggest you contact experts in that field and or do your own research into the scriptures.

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Hermeneutics - How to interpret scripture: Part 2

Bible content intended for the church

Bible interpretation can be challenging. For example, the Old Testament law and the gospels contain difficult commands for us to obey today, such as animal sacrifices and following the rules of the Pharisees (Matthew 23:3)! Obviously, in our Christian-based society we do not practice these things nor does the church command them.

Consequently, on what basis of interpretation can we ignore some commands and follow others? This is a vital question to answer to avoid confusion, believing lies about God and guilt!

Importantly, the Old Testament and the gospels must be interpreted carefully within the cultural and historical context in which God intended to communicate to His people and administrative them. Please read my last blog below to find clues on how to do this.

Today let's look at the portion of scripture intended towards the church specifically, the apostolic epistles in the New Testament, from Romans to Revelation 3. These letters explain what Christ wants us to do as church-based Christians following his glorious resurrection and ascension.

· The apostle Paul specifically was chosen to explain to the church the meaning of Christ’s coming (Colossians 1:25; Ephesians 3:1-6). In several instances, commands from the Old Testament law, such as nine of the Ten Commandments, and ‘love one another’ from the Gospels, are repeated in the epistles. However, it is from the Epistles that we derive our instructions as Christians in this time when God manages people through the church.

· Proper technique in understanding the Bible is vital. Misinterpreting scripture based on an improper view of scriptural interpretation will cause us to believe lies about God which can have a negative psychological or physical impact on us and others. In the extreme, it can cause disunity in the church, formation of Christian cults, leading others astray, and causing wasted lives and resources in service to God.

· Basic interpretation rules for the Christian in the church (please also see my last blog).

Guidance for the Christian is in the New Testament epistles.
Do not believe information about God, Christ or the Spirit that is not in scripture.
As bad as it is to not believe Bible, it is also dangerous to add to the scripture (Revelation 22:18-19). Both removing and adding to scripture teaches lies about the character, actions, desires, and requirements of our holy God. Unfortunately, adding to scripture is quite common, often from well-intentioned teachers and leaders. Adding to scripture is most commonly done by:

Ø Using philosophic arguments that are not in the Bible to assign their own beliefs to God.

Ø Over-interpreting a verse according to one’s prejudice.

Ø Interpreting a verse in isolation and not understanding the historical, cultural, or textual context.

Ø Poor hermeneutics (basis of interpretation, please see my prior blog).

o Scripture is progressive in revealing more information about God and His great plan of salvation as you proceed reading through the Bible; and should be interpreted in a normal, literal fashion. Otherwise, interpret is as it would have been understood at the time of writing and by the type of literature it represents (e.g. historical narrative, poetry, etc.)

· For scriptural study techniques, see the Teleios guide on Bible study methods.

Make a strong habit, as people tell you what to believe about God, to check the veracity in scripture itself (yes, even the Teleios website) especially if it will strongly affect your or others’ lives and beliefs. You may need to ask the person who first made the statement where it is supported in the Bible. By this method, over time, you will learn what is actually in scripture and what God really desires from Christians. Knowing what is in scripture, and what is not, is quite freeing and helpful to your life.