On Eschatology
Eschatology is defined by Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (Tenth Edition) as, "the branch of theology concerned with the final events in the history of the world or of mankind."
I think this subject is important to study. Jesus Christ, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords (1 Timothy 6:15, Revelation 19:16), talked about it at length when asked in Matthew 24:3 and Luke 21:7. Paul writes about it in 1 Corinthians 15, as well as in 1 and 2 Thessalonians. Remember that in writing to his "children" (1 Timothy 1:2, 2 Timothy 1:2, Titus 1:4), Paul emphasized the importance of solid teaching/doctrine (1 Timothy 4:6, 16, Titus 1:9, 2:1, 7, 10).
Eschatology helps us grasp with our minds and hearts the future of the redeemed and the lost - the severity of eternity spent in God's gracious love or His unrelenting wrath. We can be encouraged by the fact that He Himself is the protection for the Church, His bride, both now and in the future. Truly grasping the depth of this subject will help you long for His return.
So, if these statements are true, why do some Christians shy away from the topic? I will give three possible reasons:
1) Perhaps there is a belief that some or all of the events in the future are unknowable. I call this idea, "Prophetic Agnosticism." This concept could stem from a belief that God does not know all things or from a hesitancy to make authoritative conclusions derived from prophetic books such as Daniel, Ezekiel, Zechariah and Revelation.
While I believe that God is omniscient, I do understand the hesitancy. Prophetic books have a lot of passages that require careful interpretation. Jesus Christ, in speaking of His return, says in Matthew 24:36 and Mark 13:32 that only the Father knows the hour and day (Note to Christians: if you ever hear anyone claiming to have knowledge of the specific day and hour of Christ's return, respectfully challenge them with these verses).
While I respect the hesitancy, I do not believe that all we can safely conclude about the future is that Christ will return. We have too much of the Word of God detailing this subject to be THAT restrictive in our eschatology deductions.
2) I think many Christians shy away from this topic because it causes controversy. Undoubtedly, many pointless arguments and disputes that do not exalt Jesus Christ have been waged over this topic. These type of engagements within the Church do not serve as a good witness to unbelievers.
However, the fact that a pariticular topic is controversial should not, by itself, deter Christians from an honest study of the topic. For example, soteriology (the theology of salvation) is a controversial topic, but Christians MUST have a right understanding and heart belief in the truth that we are justified by grace through faith (Romans 4:5-6, Galatians 2:20-21, Ephesians 2:8-9, Titus 3:5-7, to name a few).
Eschatology is not salvific (meaning that it does not have the power to save anyone from their sins), but it is a branch of theology that helps us understand our Master and His plans for Himself, the world and its inhabitants. Therefore, we should not shy away from this topic, but rather study it, pray about it, and dialogue about it with others in an honest, yet peaceable manner.
3) Third, and perhaps the strongest reason I can think of for a lack of knowledge among Christians regarding eschatology, is a perception that eschatology is not an important topic to study. Hopefully, this post has convinced you otherwise!
I think that a one-on-one or small group conversation is a suitable forum for a fuller discussion of the topic, so let me know if you ever want to converse with me about eschatology.
I think this subject is important to study. Jesus Christ, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords (1 Timothy 6:15, Revelation 19:16), talked about it at length when asked in Matthew 24:3 and Luke 21:7. Paul writes about it in 1 Corinthians 15, as well as in 1 and 2 Thessalonians. Remember that in writing to his "children" (1 Timothy 1:2, 2 Timothy 1:2, Titus 1:4), Paul emphasized the importance of solid teaching/doctrine (1 Timothy 4:6, 16, Titus 1:9, 2:1, 7, 10).
Eschatology helps us grasp with our minds and hearts the future of the redeemed and the lost - the severity of eternity spent in God's gracious love or His unrelenting wrath. We can be encouraged by the fact that He Himself is the protection for the Church, His bride, both now and in the future. Truly grasping the depth of this subject will help you long for His return.
So, if these statements are true, why do some Christians shy away from the topic? I will give three possible reasons:
1) Perhaps there is a belief that some or all of the events in the future are unknowable. I call this idea, "Prophetic Agnosticism." This concept could stem from a belief that God does not know all things or from a hesitancy to make authoritative conclusions derived from prophetic books such as Daniel, Ezekiel, Zechariah and Revelation.
While I believe that God is omniscient, I do understand the hesitancy. Prophetic books have a lot of passages that require careful interpretation. Jesus Christ, in speaking of His return, says in Matthew 24:36 and Mark 13:32 that only the Father knows the hour and day (Note to Christians: if you ever hear anyone claiming to have knowledge of the specific day and hour of Christ's return, respectfully challenge them with these verses).
While I respect the hesitancy, I do not believe that all we can safely conclude about the future is that Christ will return. We have too much of the Word of God detailing this subject to be THAT restrictive in our eschatology deductions.
2) I think many Christians shy away from this topic because it causes controversy. Undoubtedly, many pointless arguments and disputes that do not exalt Jesus Christ have been waged over this topic. These type of engagements within the Church do not serve as a good witness to unbelievers.
However, the fact that a pariticular topic is controversial should not, by itself, deter Christians from an honest study of the topic. For example, soteriology (the theology of salvation) is a controversial topic, but Christians MUST have a right understanding and heart belief in the truth that we are justified by grace through faith (Romans 4:5-6, Galatians 2:20-21, Ephesians 2:8-9, Titus 3:5-7, to name a few).
Eschatology is not salvific (meaning that it does not have the power to save anyone from their sins), but it is a branch of theology that helps us understand our Master and His plans for Himself, the world and its inhabitants. Therefore, we should not shy away from this topic, but rather study it, pray about it, and dialogue about it with others in an honest, yet peaceable manner.
3) Third, and perhaps the strongest reason I can think of for a lack of knowledge among Christians regarding eschatology, is a perception that eschatology is not an important topic to study. Hopefully, this post has convinced you otherwise!
I think that a one-on-one or small group conversation is a suitable forum for a fuller discussion of the topic, so let me know if you ever want to converse with me about eschatology.
posted by G Cracka X at 10:32 AM
5 Comments:
Hey bro!
I just read all your blogs (except the very 1st two that you wrote). I had a lot of catching up to do! Thanks for sending me the link. I had to laugh at a few of the things that you said, like "You always have to ask yourself 'how does this fulfill the Great Commission'". Bro, everytime I hear that phrase I think of the time I took a shower at your house and you forgot to give me a towel, so as a substitute you gave me a roll of paper towels and I asked you "How does this fulfill the great commission?" lol.
I also laughed at the Dinosaur book you still have from Italy's library. Then I got convicted about having laughing and having fun after reading your "on fun" blog and got down on my knees and repented of my sin. jk. i didnt really do or feel that. but they were def. some good thoughts. And by the way, your baptism is being used to glorify God in manifold ways. Athena wants to get baptised now, before she and I get married. she feels convicted that she says she belongs to God but won't even "wear the engagement ring" (the baptism). so praise the Lord that He is using your's and Merits baptism in ways you all don't even know about.
GCX - good post, and i was challenged. while i definitely agree on the importance of eschatology, i have to admit that i am wont to shy away from discussing it. at least, i have been in the past.
mainly, i have done this because of what i consider an undue emphasis on "the last days". particularly, in light of recent wars and world events, i get a lot of folks asking if i think these are the last days, the end times. obviously, i don't know the answer to that question. but the general undercurrent behind such questions (again, this is just in my experience) seems to be "if i knew these were really the endtimes, i might take this Jesus stuff seriously." It is a mentality of spiritual procrastination.
Obviously not everyone looking into eschatology is coming at it from that mindset, and thank God for that. But when I sense that they are, my own tendency is to steer them away from it and challenge them instead to discern their own heart. If we knew these were the end times, why would that cause us to live any differently for Christ? Because we are not taking Him seriously now.
Are these the end times? I cannot say if they are the end times for all the world or not. What I can say, though, is that our life is but a breath - so these are my endtimes, and they are your endtimes. At the longest, I maybe have another 50, 60 years here should the Lord will it. That's really not long at all - Lord help us to use it wisely.
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hey Graham, you are a powerhouse writing machine. however, I don't think your defintion of Open Theism is entirely accurate.
What a great resource!
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