End Times Now

Posted: August 28, 2023 | Author: commissional | Filed under: End Times, Israel, Jesus, The Antichrist, The Day of the Lord, The End Times, The Rapture, The Second Coming | Leave a comment

The year was 1988! My wife was a young teenager at the time and she remembers one man in her church reading a book called 88 Reasons Why The Rapture Will Be in 1988. He sold some of his possessions and started going door-to-door in their small town telling everybody that Jesus was coming back that year. He was sorely disappointed when the book’s prophecy didn’t come true.

You may have noticed that I don’t spend a lot of time teaching on the study of the End Times called eschatology as a separate unit. If a passage on prophecy or eschatology comes, then I will delve into it. Why don’t I spend a lot of time preaching on eschatology and yet I still remind you at least monthly at Communion that Christ is coming back? Here are the four reasons (understanding that other doctrines can also cause the same problems):

• Divisive Factions – Eschatology can be divisive and encourage people to become judgmental and labelling. Especially in the past, how one interpreted the Bible on eschatology became the litmus test to how orthodox one was. Rather than a rallying point, the belief in the various views of Christ’s Second Coming separates people into factions. I believe that is a tactic of our enemy to divide us over when his defeat will be. This is why I have tried to encourage unity these 11 years as your main Teaching Pastor. As John Ortberg once said, “Too often we argue about Christianity, instead of marveling at Jesus.”
• Discipleship Focus – Eschatology is often based on prophetic, apocalyptic and figurative Scriptures that are opaque and I wanted to emphasize the clearer passages on discipleship. This is how Jesus redirected His disciples’ focus in Acts 1:6-8!
• Debilitating Fear – I don’t want to add to people’s fears, especially after COVID. One lady on Instagram wrote on a recent post, “Can y’all pray for me? I’m still scared about the rapture.” Another response was, “I often feel my wife and kids will go and I will stay to suffer.” Just this past week, fears were raised again when the Amazon One identity system using people’s palms launched causing some to think that this may be used as a Mark of the Beast (Revelation 13). However, let me remind you what I heard Susie Larson said on a podcast, “Things aren’t falling apart, but falling into place.” God is control so don’t live in debilitating fear or escape through entertainment. Keep your eyes on Jesus! (Maybe one of the take-aways tonight is to get off Social Media End Times echo chambers?)
• Declaring Falsehood – One Instagram post claimed, “When we Christians are raptured the government will blame aliens and UFOs. The trumpet will sound soon. Why else is the gov’t and media pushing UFOs all of a sudden?” This is in the conspiracy category. Conspiracies are one thing, violence is another. “A quick glance at history shows that studying the End Times has even had the capacity to bring out a bit of violence from time to time.” In 1993, the FBI raided a compound of the violent, apocalyptic Branch Davidians cult led by David Koresh who identified himself as the Lamb fulfilling Revelation 5:2.

Why End Times Now? We are going to be studying Daniel 7-12 that teaches a lot of prophecy and we have many in our church who have not been taught eschatology so tonight is an information night followed by a Q & A. My goal is for us not to lose hope, but to increase our joy and stay faithfully focused on seeing Jesus come back. This will also keep us on mission with Jesus. “The End Times began at Jesus’ birth (Revelation 12),” so we have been waiting awhile in order for us believers to preach the gospel to every tongue, tribe and nation. But Maranatha – come Lord Jesus come and soon! Amen!

What are some ground rules around eschatology? We do not make eschatology a test of fellowship here at TBC as long as one believes Jesus is physically and visibly returning to earth. We include this belief in our baptismal creed. For membership we require that one holds without mental reservation to our Affirmation of Faith, which states: We believe in the personal, bodily and glorious return of the Lord Jesus Christ; in the bodily resurrection of the just and unjust; in the eternal blessedness in Heaven of the redeemed and in the judgment and conscious, eternal punishment of the wicked in Hell. We have a big tent when it comes to eschatology, but all of us in the tent need to be humble and teachable. Too often, those with divergent views are sinfully mocked and ostracized. I have family and friends who are smarter and love Jesus more and hold views all along the eschatological spectrum. Don’t be dismissive of any of these views. They all have some valid arguments. I respect them.  However, as Bible Scholar Timothy Paul Jones reminds us, “Whenever a search for specific signs becomes the primary goal in our study of the end times, we are focusing on the wrong end.” My prayer is that all those who believe that Jesus is coming back feel welcome and loved here while having open hearts and open Bibles. I am going to say this a number of times. I am not trying to convince you of a certain position. I’ll share mine at the end. My goal tonight is to inform you of the various positions.

DEFINING TERMS

• End Times (aka eschatology) – The study of the Bible’s teaching about the events leading up to the second coming of Christ. 
• Apocalyptic literature – “Jewish genre or writing, structured around visions that figuratively pointed to hidden truths for the purpose of assuring God’s people of the goodness of God’s plans during periods of persecution.”
• Imminent – The belief that Jesus could come back at any moment.
• Millennium – The reign of Jesus for 1000 years that John describes in Revelation 20:1-6. 
• Rapture – An event described in 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17, when Christ returns for His people. There are various views to if the rapture occurs before, after or half-way through the Tribulation.
• Second Coming – “The bodily return of Jesus to earth to reign as king.”
• Tribulation – A “time when disasters happen on earth and people who are faithful to Jesus suffer intense persecution, possibly lasting seven years.”

KEY PASSAGES ON THE END TIMES

• Isaiah 24-27
• Ezekiel 37-39
• Daniel 7-12
• Zechariah 12-14
• Matthew 24; Mark 13:3-27; Luke 21:5-36
• 1 Corinthians 15:20-28, 50-52
• 1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:12
• 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12
• 2 Timothy 3:1-9
• Revelation 4-21

RESOURCES:

• The End of the World as We Know It Infographic by Tim Challies
• 4 End Times Views Pamphlet by Timothy Paul Jones. Purchase your own through Amazon for ~$5. (QR Code)

FOUR VIEWS OF THE END TIMES

	Historical Premillennialism (Post-tribulational)	Postmillennialism	Amillennialism	Dispensational Premillennialism (Pre-tribulational & Mid-tribulational)
Will Jesus return physically to earth?	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
When will Jesus return? (Do the rapture and second coming of Christ occur at the same time?)	After the Tribulation; before the Millennium (The Rapture and Second Coming are simultaneous and Christ returns to reign on earth)	After the Millennium (Single event between the Rapture and Second Coming)	Anytime: a detailed time frame is not important (Single event between the Rapture and the Second Coming and introduces eternal state)	Comes in two phrases: 1) The Rapture of the Church; and 2) 2nd Coming to earth 7 years later after the Tribulation
When will the Resurrection Occur?	The Resurrection of believers occurs at beginning of Millennium. Resurrection of unbelievers at end of Millennium.	General resurrection of believers and unbelievers at second coming of Christ	General resurrection of believers and unbelievers at second coming of Christ	Distinction in multiple resurrections: 1) Church at Rapture; 2) OT Testament & Tribulation saints at Second Coming; 3) Unbelievers at end of Millennium
Will there be a great Tribulation? (Will Christians suffer during the Tribulation?)	Yes	The Tribulation occurred during the first-century Jewish-Roman War (Preterism) or is currently experienced in this present age in the conflict between good and evil.	The Tribulation occurs any time Christians are persecuted or wars and disasters occur.	Yes, but the Church is raptured prior to Tribulation (pre-tribulation rapture) or 3 ½ years into the tribulation (mid-tribulation rapture) or prior to the wrath of God (pre-wrath tribulation rapture).
Will there be a 1000 year millennium?	Yes, after the Tribulation, Christ will return and reign for 1000 years.	No, the Millennium refers to a period of peace when the gospel reaches all people. Theonomists & Dominionists go further and believe the church should be taking authority in the areas of family, education, business, religion, media, government and entertainment (i.e. The 7 Mountain Mandate).	No, the millennium is symbolic and refers to the reign of Christ in the hearts of his believers. The Kingdom is now.	Yes, after the Tribulation, Christ will return and reign for 1000 years. The Kingdom is present and in the age to come.
What is the relationship between Israel and the Church?	There is some distinction between Israel and church. There is a future for Israel, but the Church includes Messianic Jews.	The Church is the new Israel. There is no distinction between Israel and the Church. (This is called Replacement Theology.)	The Church is the new Israel. There is no distinction between Israel and the Church. (This is called Replacement Theology.)	There is a complete distinction between Israel and the Church as well as a distinct program for each.
Is the modern state of Israel relevant to the prophecies in Revelation?	Yes, but not conditionally.	No	No	Yes
When will the Judgments occur?	General judgment of all people at the Second Coming (i.e. The Great White Throne Judgment). Believers are the judged at their death or at the beginning of Millennium when they will reign with Christ for 1000 years (i.e. The Bema Seat of Christ)	General judgment of all people (i.e. The Great White Throne judgment)	General judgment of all people (i.e. The Great White Throne Judgment)	Three judgments: 1) Believers’ works at Rapture (i.e. The Bema Seat of Christ); 2) Jews/Gentile believers at end of Tribulation; and 3) Unbelievers at the end of the Millennium
When was this view most held? Who were its major proponents?	The earliest view of the End Times, emerging at the end of the first century. Historical Premillennialist proponents include George Ladd, Robert Gundry and John Piper.	May have been popular as early as 300 A.D. Less popular today. Postmillennial proponents include Augustine, John Calvin, Many Puritans, Jonathan Edwards, William Carey, William Booth, Charles Hodge, and B.B. Warfield. Theonomists include Joe Boot.	Popularized in 400 A.D. Continues to be accepted today including in Catholic and Reformed circles. Amillennial proponents include Louis Berkhoff and G.C. Berkhouwer.	Became popular about 1860. Was the dominant view until recently, but is still very popular. Proponents include William Miller, John Darby, D.L. Moody, Lewis Sperry Chafer, C.I. Schofield (Schofield Reference Bible Study Notes), Hal Lindsey (The Late Great Planet Earth) & Jerry Jenkins (Left Behind series).

RECAP: Millennium in the middle screen (amillennialism), Premillennialism on the left screen and postmillennialism on the right screen.

Hymnody and Songs that Teach Eschatology

• Coming Again Chorus – “Coming again, coming again, may be morning, may be noon, may be evening, may be soon, O what a wonderful day it will be – Jesus is coming again!” – Notice the tune is a waltz in 6/4 time to emphasize we will be dancing as Christ’s Bride with the Bridegroom!
• Last verse of “It is Well – And Lord, haste the day when the faith shall be sight, the clouds be rolled back as a scroll; the trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend, even so, it is well with my soul.”
• Larry Norman’s “I Wish We’d All Been Ready” (redone by DC Talk) – “Life was filled with guns and war, and everyone got trampled on the floor, I wish we’d all been ready, Children died, the days grew cold, A piece of bread could buy a bag of gold, I wish we’d all been ready, There’s no time to change your mind,
  The Son has come and you’ve been left behind, A man and wife asleep in bed, She hears a noise, and turns her head, He’s gone, I wish we’d all been ready, Two men walking up a hill, One disappears and one’s left standing still, I wish we’d all been ready, There’s no time to change your mind, The Son has come and you’ve been left behind, Life was filled with guns and war, And everyone got trampled on the floor, I wish we’d all been ready, Children died, the days grew cold, A piece of bread could buy a bag of gold, I wish we’d all been ready, There’s no time to change your mind, How could you have been so blind?, The Father spoke, the demons dined, The Son has come and you’ve been left behind, You’ve been left behind, You’ve been left behind, You’ve been left behind, You’ve been left behind.” – This teaches the opposite of Matthew 24:36-42!

What will I be teaching? As my father and pastor Dr. Phil Stairs used to say, “If Jesus comes back before the Tribulation, I’m happy; if Jesus comes back after the Tribulation, I’m ready!” I adopted this mantra. It may be non-committal, but safe except for the fact that straddling the fence hurts. Nevertheless, I want to confess as I did at my Ordination that I am a moderate historical premillennialist and have been since graduating from Moody Bible Institute over 27 years ago. We have to pick sides. “It reminds me of the soldier from the civil war period that my dad told me about. It seems the soldier could not make up his mind which side to be on so he put on a blue tunic from the North and grey pants from the South. The result was he got shot at from both sides.” I am eschatological mutt borrowing from the various views, but consider myself a moderate Historical Premillennialist. I may not have been teaching you all the views of eschatology, but I have tried to prepare you for suffering, trials and tribulation like what we experienced during COVID and remind you often that Jesus is coming back. My goal is not to convince you of my view because if you have a settled eschatological position, then be content with it. Of course, I think we should always be growing and letting the Scriptures shape us, but as a pastor my goal is not to discombobulate you like a professor might do. My own recent study continues to give me respect for those who hold other positions, but has also affirmed my position. My position is not as easy to believe as dispensational premillennialism, but I want you to see where I am coming from as we walk through the second half of Daniel.

So, that is a brief overview of the various end times views and some points for why I hold to the position I do. But before I take some questions, the big question for you is do you believe Jesus is coming back? Do you look forward to that day? When He comes back has been debated for centuries. Your own view on that question needs to be supported by Scripture and I will support you as well. We are all called to act with love to those who hold different positions than we do. Remember that quote from Pastor John Ortberg, “Too often we argue about Christianity, instead of marveling at Jesus.” Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus!

Q & A

Why do I hold the position of historical premillennialism? 

1. Strongest Scriptural Support  – a) Second Coming – Jesus’ direct words on the subject are found in Matthew 24, where He clearly describes and prophecies only one Second Coming. This is not an apocalyptic or opaque passage, but one that it is clear to understand. b) Rapture? – In regard to the rapture, Bible teachers like John MacArthur, teach the words translated “caught up” equals “rapture” in 1 Thessalonians 4:17. (MacArthur describes himself as a “leaky dispensationalist,” because he does not agree with dispensationalism “easy believism.” However, only the Amplified Bible parenthetically uses “rapture” rather than “caught up,” so rapture is an interpretation, not a translation. Furthermore, the criticism that Second Coming without the Rapture means the resurrected saints are raised up only to come back down to earth does not solve the problem since the spirits of the dead saints are with Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:8) and will have to return to their resurrected bodies first.  What if Bible Scholar N.T Wright’s interpretation is correct of 1 Thessalonians 4:17? The “meeting” the Lord “in the air” is a vision of believers escorting Jesus victoriously to earth rather than escaping to heaven (cf. Phil. 3:20). Does this not fit better with the New Testament motif of the Bridegroom returning to claim His Bride who, along with the wedding party, stays for the ceremony and feast rather than experience a Western version of a 7 year “honeymoon” away while the world goes through Tribulation? (Matthew 25:1-13; John 14:1-4) c) Millennium – The millennium described in Revelation 20:1-6 should be interpreted literally, not spiritually or figuratively as it is prose and not apocalyptic like other genres written in Revelation. The Millennium seems to be an object lesson of God keeping His promises and how life could have been under the rule of Christ. d) Imminent Return of Christ? – Some accuse those who hold the historical premillennial view as not believing in the imminent return of Christ because one could count and figure out Jesus’ return based on going through a 7 year Tribulation. However, Jesus said in Matthew 24:36, “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.” We can ballpark the return of Christ, but not know the exact day or hour. In fact, the Apostle Paul tells us not to be surprised about Christ’s return. Read 1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:11! Notice especially 1 Thessalonians 5:4, “But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief.” For the unbeliever, the Day of the Lord will surprise them and take all the blessings God has given them as part of His prevenient grace (Matthew 5:45-47). For the believer, the Day of the Lord will not be a robber stealing from us while we are asleep, but the glorious return of our Big Brother taking us home to receive our inheritance!

2. Most Literal and Normal Hermeneutics – From the Doctrinal Principles in TBC Guiding Principles – “Our Affirmation of Faith is as follows with the Scripture passages referred to under each article being interpreted according to the contextual, literal, and Biblical author’s meaning of the Word of God.” This is how we continue to interpret the Scriptures. As a concrete thinker, I find this also easiest to explain to people, especially new disciples who can take most of the Scripture at face value.
3. Oldest Historic View – I find the historical premillennialist compelling because it is the oldest view. And though the oldest doesn’t necessarily mean best, I take comfort that the earliest Christians who were taught by Christ and the Apostles understood the End Times as I do. 
4. Best Distinction Between Israel and the Church – Romans 11:25 describes that the Jews “are partially hardened to the gospel until the fullness of Gentiles has come in.” I believe that Jesus is not a polygamist and has only one Bride, the Church (Ephesians 5:23-29). The Church does not replace Israel, but believing Jews become a part of the Church (Romans 1:16). Amillennialists and Postmillennialists struggle to interpret Romans 11 and account for God not being finished with ethnic Israel yet.
5. Gives accounts for Satan and evil – 2 Timothy 3:1-9 describes how evil will increase in the last days rather than get better as Postmillennialists believe. Amillennialists believe that Satan is somewhat bound during this present period, which goes against Ephesians 2:2 and Satan’s present power in the world.
6. Explains best how the Kingdom of God is increasing and the Kingdom of Darkness is increasing simultaneously – Postmillennialists believe things will get better and “evil in all its many forms eventually will be reduced to negligible proportions.” This seems to contradict 2 Timothy 3:1-9 and reality. Nevertheless, Postmillennialists have a strong argument that many prophecies were fulfilled at the fall of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. as promised by Jesus in Matthew 24:34, “Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.” What about the Amillennial position on the kingdom? Amillennialists do not seem account for Satan’s great influence on the world and how the peaceful the millennium will be without him while he is in the slammer for 1000 years (Isaiah 11:6-9; 65:17-25).
7. Avoids fear-motivated evangelism, but calls people to take up their cross and follow Jesus. Premillennialism also calls people not only to kingdom principles, but to become people of the King. In 1878, Arthur Pierson warned postmillennialists, “We have failed at missions simply because we have been aiming at universal conversion and not at universal evangelization. We have been trying to convert patches and not evangelize the whole.” One of the great benefits of dispensationalism is the increase in evangelism and missions. On a more personal note, my own father lived in fear of the rapture as boy growing up in a Pentecostal home where there was a belief that one could lose their salvation. He daily prayed the sinner’s prayer and took no comfort from his unbelieving siblings when his parents arrived home late. He thought he missed out on the rapture.
8. Avoids prophetic date setting that is embarrassingly errant (e.g. 88 Reasons Why The Rapture Will Be in 1988 by Edgar Whisenant who said to the media, “Only if the Bible is in error I am wrong.”) 
9. Give us the most hope – Robert Clouse explains, “Premillennialism is of great value for it focuses attention on eschatology. Premillennialism constantly reminds the believer that no matter how discouraging the situation is today, millennial glory awaits.”

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