Tuesday, February 22, 2011
life ahead
Beliefs:
• The promises made to Abraham and David are unconditional and, in no sense have these promises been fulfilled by the Church.
• It follows, therefore, that God has separate programs for the Church and Israel.
• The church is scarcely, if at all, in the OT prophets.
• Jesus Christ came to offer an earthly kingdom to Israel.
• The Jews, however, rejected the offer and had Jesus crucified.
• Jesus is coming again to "rapture" the Church and to finally establish the earthly kingdom promised to Israel.
• This second coming occurs in 2 stages (MacArthur 87).
• First comes the 'Rapture', when Christ comes for the saints and they are caught up to meet Him in the air (MacArthur 87).
• Second comes Jesus' return to earth, when He comes with His saints--also known as 'The Appearing' (MacArthur 87).
• Between these 2 events is Daniel's 70th week--the 7 years known as the Tribulation (MacArthur 87).
• There are, at least 3 resurrections: of the righteous before the millennium (at the rapture), of the unrighteous after the millennium, and of the 'tribulation saints' (those who turn to Christ during the Tribulation) at 'the appearing'.
end of time
What Does The Bible Teach About The End Times?
Why should we bother with the study of eschatology?
1. It is in the Bible. The references in Scripture to the end times are neither scarce nor obscure. The prophets, the apostles, and Jesus Himself, spoke at length about the subject.
2. The apostle Paul tells us in 2Tim. 3:15 that "All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable". Paul does not say that some Scripture is helpful while other parts are unnecessary, he says that "all Scripture" is "profitable". It follows then that there is profit in studying and understanding what the Bible says about the end times.
3. The study of eschatology is especially important in our present day where we are exposed to a plethora of unbiblical teaching on the end times. Since many preachers are either unequipped or fearful of preaching from these passages on the end times, many church members have learned their eschatological convictions from television preachers and from books that would not be readily accepted by the established church.
4. How we arrive at conclusions for our eschatology will affect our interpretation of other important biblical texts. Doctrines are not irrelevant sets of beliefs that can be compartmentalized. Doctrine begets practice. What we believe affects how we behave. The doctrines of the Bible form a collective unit and, therefore, error in one doctrine leads to error in other areas of doctrine. We may not view eschatology as one of those "essential doctrines", but our approach to eschatology may very well hinder our coming to sound conclusions on more crucial matters of doctrine.
5. To gain an understanding of the end times is to quench anxiety and to strengthen hope. It is to understand more clearly that God is truly in charge and that He will, one day, once and for all, set all things in order.
Why should we bother with the study of eschatology?
1. It is in the Bible. The references in Scripture to the end times are neither scarce nor obscure. The prophets, the apostles, and Jesus Himself, spoke at length about the subject.
2. The apostle Paul tells us in 2Tim. 3:15 that "All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable". Paul does not say that some Scripture is helpful while other parts are unnecessary, he says that "all Scripture" is "profitable". It follows then that there is profit in studying and understanding what the Bible says about the end times.
3. The study of eschatology is especially important in our present day where we are exposed to a plethora of unbiblical teaching on the end times. Since many preachers are either unequipped or fearful of preaching from these passages on the end times, many church members have learned their eschatological convictions from television preachers and from books that would not be readily accepted by the established church.
4. How we arrive at conclusions for our eschatology will affect our interpretation of other important biblical texts. Doctrines are not irrelevant sets of beliefs that can be compartmentalized. Doctrine begets practice. What we believe affects how we behave. The doctrines of the Bible form a collective unit and, therefore, error in one doctrine leads to error in other areas of doctrine. We may not view eschatology as one of those "essential doctrines", but our approach to eschatology may very well hinder our coming to sound conclusions on more crucial matters of doctrine.
5. To gain an understanding of the end times is to quench anxiety and to strengthen hope. It is to understand more clearly that God is truly in charge and that He will, one day, once and for all, set all things in order.
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