Developing Thoughts on Eschatology
For some time I have struggled with various forms of Eschatology. As I have studied Scripture, I have adjusted my views, though I’m still undecided regarding a few matters. What I can say is that I tend more toward an Amillennial approach. I have come to reject a number of key elements associated with Dispensational Pretrib Premillennialism. The following may help to explain my budding position. I say ‘budding’ because I am still working to formulate a confident understanding of what Scripture teaches in this area. What all who study Eschatology must understand is that this area of doctrine is secondary in the specific details beyond the return of Christ and the resurrection of the saved/lost to life in Heaven/judgment in Hell.
A Brief Summary
It seems that Scripture describes a simultaneous event when Christ returns. . .
Matthew 13:24-30; 36-43 (see also 13:47-50)
• At the Harvest (the end of the age) Christ will send His reapers (the angels) to gather the tares (sons of the Devil) out from among the good seed (sons of the kingdom) and they will be cast into fire. Then the righteous will shine in the Kingdom of God.
Matthew 25:31ff
• Separation of sheep and goats at the return of Christ
John 5:28, 29
• An ‘hour is coming’ when all the dead will hear His voice and experience either the resurrection of life or judgment.
It seems that Scripture describes the resurrection of believers at the ‘end’ …
(See texts above)
1 Corinthians 15:22ff
• At Christ’s coming those who are in Him will be resurrected and then the ‘end’ when He hands the Kingdom over to His Father
1 Corinthians 15:51, 52
• ‘At the last trumpet’ we will be raised with our glorified bodies
It seems that Scripture identifies believers as living among those who are under the wrath of God though they are preserved from that wrath…
Matthew 24:21, 22
• A ‘great tribulation’ is described as being worse than ever experienced (or will ever be) but the time of tribulation will be cut short for the ‘sake of the elect.’
Revelation 9:4
• God’s wrath rests upon ‘only the men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads.’
Scripture does clearly dispel the notion that Israel and the Church are two separate entities with two separate plans and purposes…
Matthew 3:7-10
• The Pharisees and Sadducees had no right to claim Abraham for their father due to their lack of faith and repentance. Without the fruit of faith and repentance they are out casts like the rest.
Matthew 21:43
• The kingdom of God was taken from the physical, unrepentant nation of Israel and give to a people who bear the fruit of the kingdom. This group of people is made up of all the nations (including physical jews).
Romans 2:28, 29
• Being a physical jew does not make one a true jew in God’s eyes. Paul distinguishes between physical and spiritual jews.
Romans 9:6-8
• Again Paul clearly articulates that just because a person is a citizen of the nation of Israel (more specifically a descendant of Israel), that does not make them a citizen of God’s Israel. We are no longer to think in terms of physical descendants. Children of the promise (those of the faith of Abraham) are true descendants.
Galatians 3:24-29
• We are made sons by faith in Christ.
• No longer any distinction between Jew or Gentile
• We are all one in Christ.
• We are Abraham’s descendants and heirs according to promise by faith.
Ephesians 2:13-16
• Both groups, those far off (gentiles) and those near (jews), are made into one group
• The dividing wall has been broken down
• The two are not one new man, establishing peace
• This new man is God’s household, a temple being built up, a dwelling of God
Scripture does clearly communicate Christ’s victory over Satan in His death & resurrection (which easily coincides with Revelation 20)…
Matthew 12:28, 29
• Jesus describes the necessary ‘binding’ of the strong man in order for Him to ‘plunder’ his house
John 12:31
• In foretelling His death, Jesus tells His disciples that judgment is upon the world and the ruler of this world will be cast out (this in conjunction with His death & also the drawing of all peoples to Himself)
Colossians 2:15
• Jesus disarmed Satan and his horde
Hebrews 2:14,15
• Jesus rendered Satan powerless at the cross
Jude 6 & 2 Peter 2:4
• Fallen angels kept in ‘eternal bonds’ for judgment
• God has cast them into hell and ‘committed them to pits of darkness’ for judgment
Revelation 20:3 & Acts 26:16-18
• Satan bound so that he would no longer deceive the nations
• Paul called by God to ‘open the eyes’ of the lost, both jews and gentiles, so that they may turn from darkness and from the dominion of Satan to God
The book of Revelation is a book of apocalyptic prophecy that uses rich symbolism…
It is appropriate to believe that the 1000 years mentioned in Revelation 20 was intended to be taken symbolically as perfect and complete. This would not be the first time in Scripture that this number were used as such…
• Psalm 50:10 …the cattle on a thousand hills
• Deuteronomy 7:9 …His lovingkindness to a thousandth generation
• Psalm 84:10 …a day in Your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere
• 2 Peter 3:8 …one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day
The symbolic nature of this book is also overlooked regarding the ‘mark of the beast’…
• Revelation 13:16-18 …a mark to be given on the right hand or forehead to mark individuals as belonging to the beast
• Revelation 3:12 …Christ will write His name on believers
• Revelation 9:4 …God has marked/sealed those who belong to Him on their foreheads
• Deuteronomy 6:5-9 …to bind God’s Word/Law upon our foreheads and upon our hands and upon our doorposts
Josh C says:
September 24th, 2009 at 22:23
Hey, we had a class or two together at MBTS.
I grew up in the pre-trib, pre-mill, pro-nukes camp, but a class in hermeneutics pushed me away.
What would you call someone who is historical pre-mil 5 days a week, amillennial 2, who believes that the age of toil in the world from the time of first century on is the figurative 3 1/2 year tribulation, who views antiChrist as a general type (but won’t be surprised if there is an ultimate form of the Type at the very end), and on his historical pre-mill days still views the 1000 years as a symbolic number for a long earthly reign of Christ (I don’t imagine there will be a giant clock counting down from 1000 years for sure!).
Maybe if I had a chart, I could figure out my own eschatology! But it’s nice to hear others are thinking hard and not firmly settled on these issues too.
Doug says:
September 25th, 2009 at 10:54
Thanks Josh…I bounce between Hist. Premill. and Amill. as well. I do tend to lean more toward the Amill.
Josh C says:
September 25th, 2009 at 12:57
I understand that bounce! For me one of the big hermenuetical issues for those torn between the two is whether chapter 20 of Revelation concludes or begins a cycle in Revelation. If it begins a brand new section (I tend to hold to some kind of recapitulation), then amillennialism makes sense. However, most days I see chapter 20 as continuing the same thread as 19, especially in how it senses the devil’s final overthrow in 20:10 as an additional and concluding stage over the initial victory over the beasts in 19 at the parousia.
The nice thing is, the early church seemed to bounce between these two options as well, at least until Augustine became the only voice in the discussion for 1000 years or so. So we’re in good company!
Steve Rives says:
October 10th, 2009 at 10:59
Just read Greg Beale or Meredith Kline and the transformation will be complete!