Eschatology

24 Biblical Principles Applied to the Corona Crisis

The Bible applies to every situation you will ever face. There are several Bible verses and biblical concepts that need to be considered in light of the Covid-19 virus and the response to it. This would include the lockdowns, the effect on the economy, etc. There is actually quite a bit more that could be said, but here are some things for you to consider:

1. God causes bad things.

It is very common in modern churches to hear that God allows bad thing to happen. This isn’t true. The Bible is clear that God causes bad things to happen (Isa. 45:7; Amos 3:6). All viruses, economic hardships, etc., are ultimately from the hand of God.

2. Confusion and fear are God’s judgment.

Some have suggested that this virus is God’s judgment on America and other countries. This may be true (Deut. 28:21), but I think it’s more accurate to say that the response to the virus is God’s judgment. This virus isn’t all that severe. Of course, for some it is. In fact, for some, it can be deadly. But, all in all, this is by no means even close to the most deadly thing out there.

The Bible does say that confusion and fear are also part of God’s judgment (Deut. 28:20, 28; Lev. 26:36). This, I believe, is more of a judgment than the virus.

3. Fear God, not people or things.

Did you know that fear can be a sin? It indeed can be (Rev. 21:8). Fear leads us to obey the thing that we are afraid of. If we fear men more than we fear God, we will obey men rather than God. Jesus was clear: don’t fear those who can kill us, but rather, fear God (Matt. 10:28). This doesn’t mean that we should do foolish things, or tempt God (Matt. 4:5-7), but neither can our lives be marked by fear.

4. Science apart from the word of God is bad.

Science is the process of trying to learn things by observation. Science is a wonderful tool that God has given us to learn about our world. However, true science must be connected to the word of God. If science runs contrary to the Bible, then the science must be assumed to be wrong, not God’s word.

This current virus, and all viruses, were caused by placing science (observation) over the word of God. All sicknesses are the result of Adam & Eve’s sin. Their sin was rooted in the fact that they trusted their eyes (observation), and a self-proclaimed expert (Satan), over what God had said (Gen. 3:2-6).

We are getting so many different “scientific” opinions on the nature of this virus and what our response should be. How do you know which of these medical opinions to trust? The ones that are the most in line with the Bible are going to be the most accurate.

5. The real death rate for those with Covid-19.

There has been much talk about what the actual death rate of this virus is. Some say the numbers of deaths are being inflated. Though I expect this to be the case, I can’t prove it. However, even if we use the official numbers, the death rate is still far below other causes of death (heart disease comes to mind, or even higher still: abortion). We’ve never taken such drastic measures against heart disease, so why are we so terrified of this? Proverbs 28:1 comes to mind.

But in another sense, I do know exactly what the death rate is for those who contract Covid-19. It’s 100%! Everyone who gets this virus will die at some point. Everyone who doesn’t get this virus will also die at some point. Death is a part of life. You shouldn’t seek it, but neither should we act like we can avoid it. God can take you out at any time, whether or not you have Covid-19. You will die, and you will face your Maker (Heb. 9:27). Are you sure you’re going to heaven? You can be (John 3:16; Rom 6:23).

6. Quarantine laws.

The Bible actually does have something to say about quarantining the sick. These laws are in Leviticus, so many Christians don’t know about them, but they are there (Lev. 13-14). In the Bible, the sick are the ones to be quarantined, not the healthy. Some may say that because the current virus is contagious even when an infected person isn’t having any symptoms, everyone should be locked down. I would just note that we really don’t know for sure what the “leprosy” in Leviticus 13-14 was. It could be that this ancient disease was contagious before symptoms appeared. And yet, God would still only have us quarantine the sick. I would also note that the flu is contagious before a person has symptoms, and we don’t quarantine the whole population during flu season, even though many die from it as well.

7. You were made to live on planet earth.

God made you to live on this planet (Gen. 1). True, this earth is under the curse of sin, but we are designed to handle the viruses, bacteria, etc., that also inhabit this world. Most of the time (though not always) our bodies can fight diseases, if we give them what they need to do that.

8. Health comes from God (through your lifestyle).

All good gifts come from God (James 1:17). Ultimately, He is the source of health (3 John 2). The healthiness of a society is somewhat dependent on their obedience to God (Exo. 15:26; Deut. 28:21-22). One of the means through which God gives the gift of health is by us living a lifestyle that God prescribes (Prov. 3:7-8; 4:20-22).

9. We are told to work.

God made man, then He put him to work (Gen. 2:7, 15). We are commanded to work (Exo. 20:9). Any response to this virus should do all that it can to allow people to work. I realize that in some cases that may not be possible, but in most cases where people were forbidden to work, they could have continued working without endangering others. Our government officials could have done much better by being less restrictive.

10. We are told to provide for our families.

God has some harsh things to say to those who choose not to provide for their families (1 Tim. 5:8). Again, the lockdowns that were perpetrated by our government officials were way too severe, and needlessly (and I would add, callously) prohibited people from providing for their families. God forbids taking away a person’s livelihood (Deut. 24:6).

11. God commanded us to proclaim the gospel and disciple the nations.

This is our mission (Matt. 28:18-20; Mark 16:15). The lockdowns have been an impediment to this mission. Kudos to those who have found ways to obey the Great Commission in creative ways at this unusual time, but for the most part, the actions of our governments have been more of a hindrance than a help to the church’s mission.

12. We are commanded to assemble.

We are not to forsake the assembling of God’s people (Heb. 10:25). We are to “come together” (1 Cor. 11:33; 14:23). There may be some instances where assembling as a church may temporarily not be a good idea. But, closing church buildings for months over a sickness that for about 99% of people isn’t fatal, is not a good reason to forsake assembling. If someone is sick, or has a compromised immune system, they should stay away from the gathering of the saints for a time, not everyone else.

13. Facebook isn’t assembling.

I’m not opposed to technology because the Bible isn’t opposed to it. Facebook, Zoom, etc., can be useful tools. But, these tools should never be considered a replacement for actually meeting together. “Meeting” online is not the best way to “meet.” We can utilize communication technologies, but face to face meetings are best (2 John 12; 3 John 13-14).

14. Holy kiss.

There was a cultural practice in the early church to greet one another with a kiss (Rom. 16:16; 1 Cor. 16:20). While this practice may not have to be done today exactly the way it was in those days, the principle of being (appropriately) affectionate in our relationships with one another is, I believe, still something that God would have us do. And, it could actually be healthy for you. “We need closer interactions with other humans, because that exchange of microbes is important for your immune system,” says Kiran Krishnan, a microbiologist and chief scientific officer for Microbiome Labs.

Of course, this doesn’t mean you should go around licking people who are sick. But to think, as the health experts and news media are suggesting, that even standing within 6ft. of a healthy person is going to lead to death is going a bit overboard.

15. Elderly dying from despair.

There is an interesting story out of Mexico. At a state run hospital, the patients in the Covid ward were not allowed visits from their family, and the nurses there weren’t supposed to have much contact with those patients either. One nurse said that most of the patients in that ward seem to “die of sadness.” This nurse began defying the rules and began actually caring for those patients, even letting these elderly patients communicate with their families over video. Conditions in that ward subsequently improved.

God made us in such a way that we need other people. We are built for relationships. At least in that hospital in Mexico, the “care” that the medical experts prescribed was actually doing more harm.

16. Can’t preach the gospel to the dying.

Everyone is going to die and face the judgment (Heb. 9:27). While everyone needs to hear the gospel, those who are nearest death have a more urgent need to hear the good news. There has been a longstanding tradition in Christendom to go to those who are dying and give them the gospel. How many people in history have been born spiritually even as they were dying physically? Yet, the way things are being handled with this virus, those with the good news are not allowed to be with those who need it the most.

17. The civil government is God’s minister.

The job of the government is to serve God. Romans 13 calls it God’s “minister” (v. 4). The civil government, like other ministers, must obey God. If the pastor of a church was demanding that his congregation rob banks to fund that church, or engage in communal fornication, would that minister be a good one? Should he be obeyed? Wouldn’t that church (hopefully) get a new pastor?

So it is with the government. If government officials command what God has forbidden, or forbid what God has commanded, they are no longer functioning as God’s minister, and therefore are not be obeyed and are to be replaced with government officials that will act as God’s minister.

18. Interposition.

The doctrine of interposition (and the “doctrine of the lesser magistrate”) teaches that tyrants can, and even should, be resisted. A lower magistrate (like a mayor, sheriff, etc.) can interpose himself between a higher magistrate (such as a king or governor) and the people the higher magistrate is trying to tyrannize. Also, an individual can interpose between a tyrant and the object of their tyranny. The church, likewise, can resist the civil government if they are trying to do things that are the church’s responsibility.

Examples in the Bible are numerous, including: Exo. 1:15-21; 1 Sam. 14:44-45; 2 Chron. 26:16-20; etc. It is interesting that some in California, of all places, have declared that they will not go along with the unlawful orders of their governor. Some sheriffs have said they won’t enforce those orders, and many pastors have stated they will disobey those orders if their churches aren’t allowed to open by a certain date. Who would have thought that some Californians would be more liberty minded than some of the more “conservative” states?

19. Snitching.

Many bad governments want their citizens to “snitch” on others who follow their (unlawful) orders. In the Bible, if someone is violating God’s law and committing a sin that is also a crime, then the people have the duty to report that person. However, when the government is acting unjustly, those who report others to the government are condemned. One such example is David and Doeg. David was being unjustly pursued by Saul. Doeg ratted him out to the government (1 Sam. 22:6-9). How does God view this “snitch”? Not very highly. In Psalm 52, this is what God says about Doeg’s snitching: “You love evil more than good…God shall destroy you forever…”

20. WHO and the UN.

Jesus was given authority over all the nations (Ps. 2; Matt. 28:18-20; Rev. 2:26-27). Any person, or group of people, who pretend to have authority over the nations are attempting to dethrone Christ. That is an obvious no-no. The United Nations is one such organization. It is the duty of every Christian to oppose the UN and any group connected with them, like the World Health Organization.

21. Fiat money.

In order to save our crashing economy, the Federal Reserve is creating more money out of thin air. God condemns those who increase the money supply by creating money out of worthless materials. “Nothing” isn’t worth very much. In Isaiah 1:22-23, people were making money out of “dross” (worthless metals). God calls this theft, and this is one of the reasons He destroyed His own people. America won’t fare any better, unless we repent.

22. You don’t define loving your neighbor.

In the Bible, loving God is defined, not as by having certain feelings for Him, but by obeying Him (John 14:15; 1 John 5:3). Likewise, loving our neighbor is defined as obeying God’s commands (2 John 5-6). In other words, if you are “loving” your neighbor in ways that are contrary to God’s commands, then you aren’t really loving them, no matter how you feel about them. “Love” that isn’t rooted in God’s word isn’t love.

23. You’re not receiving prophecies that Jesus is coming soon.

This crisis has sparked a new emphasis on Christ’s return, and many are claiming to receive dreams and prophecies that reveal the second coming is going to happen soon. These supposed revelations are in clear contradiction to Scripture.

Jesus is now seated at the right hand of the Father, ruling and reigning (Eph. 1:20-21). He is going to be on that heavenly throne until His enemies are made His footstool (1 Cor. 15:24-26; Heb. 10:12-13). In other words, He’s not leaving heaven to return to earth until His enemies are subdued. Those enemies include rebellious nations (Ps. 2). We have been given responsibilities in this nation-subduing mission as well (Matt. 28:18-20). Look around you. Are Christ’s enemies subdued? They’re not, so we’ve probably got a long way to go before His return.

24. God is building His kingdom through this.

Hebrews 12:27-28 gives us a principle: God shakes things up from time to time in order to bring down things that are opposed to His kingdom (Heb. 12:27). This “shaking” clears the ground for His unshakable kingdom to grow (Heb. 12:27-28). Clearly, this virus, or rather the response to it, has shaken things up. This shaking can be rough to live through, but with faith, we can rejoice that God is building His kingdom even as He’s bringing down the kingdoms of man.

How are you going to respond to this shaking (and the ones to come)? Will you be sad when the wicked institutions that the ungodly have built come crumbling down? Will you hunker down and wait for God to rescue you? Or, will you get busy doing what God has called you to do? Now’s the time for building and fighting, not retreating (Nehemiah 4:14, 17).

2020-06-01T20:49:19+00:00June 1st, 2020|Categories: Church, Eschatology, Family, Government, Money, Uncategorized|Tags: , , , , , |

Challenges for Premillennialism

Premillennialism is the belief that Christ will return before (pre) the millennium. The millennium is the 1,000 years mentioned in Revelation 20. The Premillennial view has a long history, and many great men have believed it (e.g. John Gill, Charles Spurgeon, etc.). With that being said, I find that the evidence in Scripture for many Premillennial beliefs is weak at best. I’m writing this article to show some of the problems with certain aspects of Premillennialism, but I’m not doing it with the intent of bashing anyone’s views. If Premillennialism is correct, I want to know! But if the challenges I’m about to put forth are valid, then maybe it’s time to abandon this view.

One quick note: there are two main types of Premillennialism: Dispensational and Historic. Some of these challenges would apply to both types, and others would only apply to the Dispensational variety. Now for the challenges.

1. The millennium. Does the Bible even teach that there will be a millennium? Rev. 20 does mention “a thousand years” (vv. 2,3,4,5, etc.). But is this enough to prove the idea of a literal 1,000 year millennium? I would argue, no. First, it is very dangerous to base a view on one lone passage. Many cults have been started this way. If you want to make a case from the Bible, it’s best to have several passages from which to make your case. There is no other passage in all of Scripture that mentions a millennium. Second, this passage is in Rev. 20, one of the most confusing, highly debated chapters in the Bible. Third, the book of Revelation is one of, if not the most, symbolic books in all of Scripture. In fact, the very first verse in Revelation hints to the fact that the book is not literally describing certain events, but rather, it is symbolizing or “signifying” (sign-ifying) events that would take place (Rev. 1:1). Fourth, the Bible often uses the number 1,000 (or 10,000) in a figurative sense (Ps. 50:10; 91:7; 105:8; Song. 4:4; Isa. 7:23; 1 Cor. 4:15; 14:19; etc.). So, “1,000” often just means a large number. I believe the 1,000 years in Rev. 20 is simply a long period of time, specifically, the church age.

2. The premillennial return. If the 1,000 yrs. in Rev. 20 is describing the church age, then Premillennialism is destroyed. But, let’s say for a moment that the millennium is a literal 1,000 yrs. Then would the Bible teach a premillennial return of Christ? Again, I would argue, no. The idea that Christ returns before the millennium comes from the idea that chapter 19 of Revelation is describing Christ’s return. Does it? Not explicitly. Chapter 19 does say that Jesus is in heaven (v. 11). And, it does say that His saints “followed Him” (v. 14). They are following Him into battle (v. 15). This battle takes place on the earth (vv. 17-21). Does this then prove that Jesus returns to earth (chap. 19) before the millennium (chap. 20)? No.

First, remember, this is only one passage. If you only have one symbolic passage to back up your view, your view is probably wrong. Second, it doesn’t actually say that Christ comes to earth in chap. 19. It says that Jesus is in heaven and that His people follow Him, but it doesn’t say that either of them are going toward the earth. Jesus can fight those on earth while He is in heaven. In Rev. 2:16, Jesus says that He will fight against those in the church of Pergamos (in the 1stcentury). He wasn’t talking about coming back to earth, He was talking about coming in judgment. Jesus is God; He can fight His enemies on earth while He’s in heaven. While I don’t have room here to get into my view of Rev. 19, my point is that the only passage that may speak about a premillennial return, doesn’t explicitly say that. Which means that there is no passage in all of Scripture that explicitly teaches a premillennial return. Sounds like a weak view to me.

3. Jesus reigning on the earth for a thousand years. Is there any verse that says that Jesus will rule on earth for 1,000 years? Nope. Many think that Rev. 20:4 says that Jesus will reign on earth for the millennium. Read that verse carefully. It says no such thing. Only if you assume that Rev. 20 is talking about a literal 1,000 yrs., and you assume that Rev. 19 is talking about the return of Christ, can you assume that Rev. 20:4 takes place on the earth. That’s a lot of assuming, and not one verse in the whole Bible explicitly says that.

4.The rapture. Here’s another widely held belief that is never explicitly stated in the Bible. The Bible does say that Jesus is coming back. But it never says that He is coming back to snatch us away to heaven. Here are the so called “rapture” passages:

Matt. 24:36-42. This passage does say that some people will be “taken.” However, they’re not taken to heaven, they’re taken in judgment, just like the flood in Noah’s day “took” people away (vv. 37-39).

John 14:2-3. This is the best evidence for the rapture, and yet, it never says that Jesus is coming back to take us to heaven (read it carefully!). It says that (after His death) He was going to go to heaven, and it says that He will “come again” to earth. But it never says that He will take us back to heaven.

1 Cor. 15:51-54. The event described here must be at the Last Day, because at this event, death will be no more (v. 54). So, this cannot be the rapture, because according to that view (at least for most) a lot of death is going to take place after the rapture. And, again, this passage never says that Jesus is going to take us to heaven.

1 Thess. 4:14-17. This passage does say that we who are alive at Jesus’ coming will be caught up to meet Him. This passage does say that He is returning. But it never says that He’s coming to take us to heaven (again, read it carefully!). In this passage, Jesus is headed to earth. But, there is no mention of Him reversing course to go back to heaven. You might ask why we would meet Him in the air, just to come back to earth. In Paul’s day, Roman officials would often be met by the people as they returned from war (if they won). The people would go out to meet their leader, form a victory parade, and march back to the city. This was the practice in ancient Israel as well (see Jdg. 11:32, 34; 1 Sam. 18:6-7). We will go up to meet our Leader as He returns to earth.

Rev. 4:1. Some have tried to say that this is a “rapture” passage. However, the only person in this passage who is called “up” is the apostle John. This isn’t describing a rapture either. There is no passage in all of Scripture which explicitly says that Jesus is going to come back and take us to heaven. Jesus is coming back, but it will be to a restored earth, where we will live with Him forever (see Rom. 8:19-22; Rev. 22:1-5).

5. Sacrifices being offered in a rebuilt temple as a memorial to Christ’s sacrifice upon the cross. Thankfully, fewer and fewer people believe this view. But, many still do believe that during the millennium, while Jesus is ruling from a rebuilt Jerusalem, the OT sacrifices will resume in a rebuilt temple. Of course, the idea of the OT sacrifices resuming is complete blasphemy. Jesus’ sacrifice put an end to the OT sacrifices (Heb. 9:11-14; 10:1-4, 11-12; etc.). No one wants to be accused of blasphemy, so those who hold to this view had to come up with a reason for the sacrifices to resume. The reason they made up was that God wants the sacrifices to resume as a memorial to His Son’s sacrifice. I say they “made up” this view because there is not one verse in all of Scripture which says that God wants us sacrificing animals as a memorial of His Son’s death. If you can show me from Scripture, I’ll believe you. No one has been able to show me yet.

In conclusion, Premillennialism has had many supporters over the centuries. Some of them were godly & knowledgeable men. But since many of their central beliefs have little (or no) biblical support, I think it’s time to reevaluate Premillennialism. There are other views of the end times which do have verses that explicitly teach the things that they believe. For a brief intro to my view, please see my article entitled: Is Jesus Coming Soon? Not Likely. If you have answers to these challenges that I have laid out, I would love to hear them. While I do have strong opinions on these things, I’m not above correction. You can get in touch with me through the “contact us” page of my website.

2019-11-29T20:45:20+00:00November 29th, 2019|Categories: Eschatology|Tags: , , |

A Critique of Pan-millennialism

Most of the common views of eschatology (study of the end times) get their name from their beliefs regarding the timing of Christ’s return in relation to the millennium (the 1,000 years mentioned in Revelation 20). For instance, the Premillennialist believes that Jesus will return “pre” (before) the millennium. Postmillennialists believe He will return “post” (after) the millennium. There’s also Amillennialism, which teaches that the millennium in Rev. 20 isn’t a literal 1,000 years, but rather, it is a symbolic way of referring to the church age. Confused yet? It gets worse.

Many Postmillennialists believe that the millennium isn’t a literal 1,000 years either. So, in that sense they could be called Amillennialists. All Amillennialists also believe that Christ will return after the (symbolic) millennium. So does that make Amillennialists Postmillennial? You can see why some are intimidated by the study of eschatology, and we haven’t even mentioned the five main views on the book of Revelation yet!

Because of this confusion, some have decided to become “Pan-millennialists.” Pan-millennialism simply teaches that it will all “pan” out in the end. While this started out as joke, it is becoming a very popular way to describe one’s view of eschatology. While it is true that it will all pan out in the end, I don’t think Pan-millennialism is a view that any Christian should hold. As difficult as eschatology may be, we should still care about the end times, and there are several reasons why.

1. Your beliefs affect your behavior. What you believe about the future will affect your behavior. If you believed that you only had one week to live, would you act any differently than you do now? Of course you would. If you believe that Jesus is coming in the next decade or so, you may be motivated to tell more people about Jesus, but you probably won’t be as concerned with building a Christian culture or society.

Back when our nation was being founded, the majority of Christians believed that the world would get better, and it did. Now most Christians believe that the world will get worse, and at least in our neck of the woods, it is getting worse. That’s not a coincidence. When the American church changed its views on eschatology, its behavior changed too, and not for the better.

2. God doesn’t waste His breath. The Bible is God-breathed (2 Tim. 3:16, in the original Greek). Everything in Scripture is there for a reason. God didn’t put “end time” passages in the Bible just for seminary professors; He wants you study them too. Furthermore, 2 Tim. 3:16 says that all Scripture is “profitable.” This means that the Scriptures that talk about eschatology are profitable too.

3. Jesus is important. Your view of eschatology is mostly determined by your view of who Jesus is right this very moment. I dare say that answering the question of who Jesus is should be something that we care about!

Some Premillennialists believe that Jesus will be King after He returns to earth to set up His kingdom. Other Premillennialists and Amillennialists believe that Jesus is King now, but that His kingdom is only spiritual (i.e. He rules in the hearts of His people). Postmillennialists on the other hand, believe that Jesus is King now, and that He rules everything (our hearts, the nations, etc.). Pan-millennialists apparently don’t think this question is worth answering.

4. All areas of theology are interconnected. What you believe about eschatology affects your beliefs in other areas as well. When my eschatology changed, my views of the family changed too, as did my views of discipleship, government, foreign policy, war, birth control, technology, money, and more. By the way, if your eschatology doesn’t affect your thinking in every other area of life, your eschatology doesn’t come from the Bible.

5. A correct view of the future will be be rewarded; a wrong view will be punished. When God says something about the future, we are obligated to believe it, even if God’s promises seem impossible. Abraham believed what God said about the future, and was rewarded (Gen. 15:5-6). Because Zacharias didn’t believe God’s message about the future, he wasn’t able to speak for 9 months (Luke 1:11-20). Another example is the 12 spies who went to spy out the promised land. God told Israel His plan for the future: they would conquer and inherit the land of Canaan (Gen. 12:6-7; Ex. 3:7-8; etc.). Two of the spies believed God, ten did not. The ten who didn’t believe convinced everyone else not to believe God either. The two who believed (Joshua & Caleb) were rewarded, while everyone else was punished (see Num. 13-14 and Deut. 1:19-46).

God has given us Christians a new promised land: the whole world (Matt. 5:5; Rom. 4:13). He has told us to make the nations obedient (Acts 26:17-18; Rom. 1:5; 16:25-26) through the proclamation of the gospel and discipleship (Mark 16:15; Matt. 28:18-20). He has promised to be with us (Matt. 28:20), thus ensuring our success. He has also told us that His Son is not going to leave heaven to return to earth until after this task is accomplished (Heb. 10:12-13). The apostles believed God’s promise and were optimistic (1 Cor. 2:6; 1 Tim. 2:9; 3:8-9; 1 John 2:8).

Today, most American Christians don’t believe in the success of the Great Commission (the Christianizing of all the nations); they believe the nations will become more and more godless (the exact opposite of the Great Commission!). God punished Israel for their unbelief. Could it be that God is punishing American Christians for not believing what He has said about the future?

2019-08-08T15:18:27+00:00November 30th, 2018|Categories: Eschatology|

What Are the Last Days? (3 Views)

The majority of Christians in our day believe that we are living in the last days. Is this the case? In order to answer that question, we must let the Bible define the term “last days.” So, according to the Bible, when are/were the last days?

There are mainly three views amongst Christians on what the last days are. I certainly can’t cover every verse and every detail in this short article. But hopefully, this will spur you on to study this issue more thoroughly for yourself.

1.  The most common view in our day is that the last days is the period of time just prior to Christ’s 2nd coming. Some have dated the start of the last days at 1948 A.D., because that is the year that Israel was reborn as a nation. Others would not use that particular date, but would affirm that we are living in the last days, but that those alive in, say, the 1800’s were not.

Does this view line up with the Bible’s definition of the phrase “last days”? If we allow the Bible to tell us when the last days began, then the answer would have to be “no.” While I can see how one might come to the conclusion that the last days started within the last 100 years or less, the Bible clearly states that the last days started almost 2,000 years ago. The last days began in the 1st century. Don’t take my word for it, God’s word says it.

“[God] has in these last days spoken to us by His Son..” Heb. 1:2 (all quotes are from the NKJV)

Notice that the author of Hebrews says “these last days.” The days in which the writer of Hebrews lived (the 1st century), were the last days. Furthermore, he says that God spoke through His Son in the last days. Whether he is speaking of Jesus’ teaching while He was on earth, or Jesus speaking through His apostles as they wrote the New Testament, either way, both took place in the 1st century.

When we look at other phrases that are similar to the phrase “last days,” we see the same thing.

“[Jesus] … was manifest in these last times for you…” 1 Pet. 1:20

Notice again that Peter refers to these last times. The times in which Peter lived (1st century) were the last times. He also says that Jesus was manifest (made visible, or made known) in the last times. Jesus was manifested in the 1st century; therefore, the last times had to begin in the 1st century.

“…but now, once at the end of the ages, [Jesus] has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.” Heb. 9:26

When did Jesus “appear” (same Greek word as “manifest”) to sacrifice Himself? He did so in the 1st century, which the writer of Hebrews says was the “end of the ages.”

As you can see, the last days, last times, or end of the ages, did not start in 1948, they began about 2,000 yrs. ago.

2.   The second view on the phrase “last days” is that it is a reference to the entire church age, or to put it another way, the whole new covenant era. The idea is that there have been different eras in God’s redemptive plan and that He worked out that plan through different covenants. Since the new covenant is the last covenant, the new covenant era is the last times, days, etc.

This view is much more consistent with Scripture in that it doesn’t contradict those verses that clearly show that the last days started in the 1st century. Also, there are many great theologians in history who have held this view, so it is not as though this view is a recent invention.

3.   The third view is that the term “last days,” etc., is probably a reference to the last days of the old covenant and many of its various aspects (the temple, sacrifices, etc.). There are a few clues in Scripture that suggest this. First, as already noted, the last days can be proven to have begun in the 1st century. It can’t be proven Scripturally that they go beyond the 1st century (though some argue that they do).

There are other clues as well. It is helpful to know that the old covenant wasn’t fully done away with at the time of Jesus’ death. It was on its way out, but it wouldn’t be fully gone until the destruction of Jerusalem & the temple by the Romans in 70 A.D. When the book of Hebrews was being written (after Jesus’ resurrection and before 70 A.D.), the author says that the old covenant had not yet passed away, but it would soon.

“[The old covenant] is becoming obsolete and growing old [and] is ready to vanish away.” Heb. 8:13

Peter also mentions that “the end of all things is at hand” (1 Pet. 4:7). “All things” can’t mean the end of the world, because Peter would have been in error about the end being “at hand.” And if the Holy Spirit inspired Peter to write down error, then the Bible can’t be trusted. The “all things” is more likely a reference to the end of the temple, its sacrifices, etc.

We also have a similar phrase in 1 John 2:18,

“…it is the last hour…we know that it is the last hour.”

John referred to the time in which he lived as the “last hour.” John lived in the 1st century, therefore, the last hour was in the 1st century. While the word “hour” can refer to a time period of longer than 60 min. (“our finest hour”), it seems unlikely that John would have used the word “hour” to describe the church age that has lasted 2,000 years and is still going. Again, the term “last hour” would seem to best describe the end of the old covenant. If “last hour” and “end of all things” are references to the end of the old covenant, then it’s possible that last days, last times, etc. are as well.

As I said earlier, this article doesn’t deal with every instance of the phrase “last days,” but hopefully, it has given you some things to think about as you study this issue further.

2017-10-17T14:49:19+00:00October 13th, 2017|Categories: Eschatology, Theology|

Is Jesus Coming Soon? Not Likely.

     If Jesus were to return soon, He would return as a loser. Jesus is not a loser! Jesus is King. He is sitting at the right hand of the Father. Why is He sitting at His Father’s right hand? Psalm 2 tells us why. The nations and their governments are in rebellion against God (vv. 1-3). What is God’s response to this? First, He laughs (v. 4). Then, He enthrones a King (v. 6). This King is His Son (v. 7). God’s Son is going to be given the nations as an inheritance (v. 8). Therefore, the nations and their governments are told to honor and obey the Son or suffer the consequences (vv. 10-12).

     Do you see the picture being given here? There is a king (God the Father) whose subjects are in rebellion to Him. So in response, the king gives his son the authority of the kingdom for the purpose of subduing the rebels. The son’s task is quell the rebellion, to subdue the nations.

     Psalm 2 is not referring to some event in our future. It was fulfilled in the first century, when Jesus came to earth the first time (in the day that He was “begotten”, v. 7). Jesus is not waiting to be given the authority to subdue the nations. He has already been given that authority, and we have been given a role to play in the subduing of nations as well.

     After the resurrection, and before Jesus ascended into heaven, He said to His disciples that “All authority” had been given to Him, “in heaven and on earth” (Matt. 28:18). Remember that He was given that authority by His Father for the purpose of subduing the nations. He then told the disciples that they too were part of this subduing of the nations. They were to go into all nations and “preach the gospel” (Mark 16:15). As they went, they were to disciple the nations by teaching them to obey everything that God had commanded (Matt. 28:19-20). Jesus, the King, promised to be with them as they went (Matt. 28:20).

     The church’s task is to turn the nations (Gentiles) “from darkness to light”, from the “power of Satan to God” (Acts 26:17-18). If the church were left to herself to accomplish this task, there would be little hope of the nations being discipled. But, we are not left alone. Jesus has promised to be with us (Matt. 28:20). The Father gave the Son the task of subduing the nations, and the Son has commissioned His church to accompany Him in that task. The Son will not fail, and because He is with her, His church won’t fail either. As God blesses and empowers the preaching and teaching of His word, the nations will cease their rebellion, and gladly worship their King.

     This, of course, doesn’t happen all at once. But gradually, the kingdom of God will grow until it outgrows all others (Matt. 13:31-32). When it is grown, Jesus will give the kingdom back to His Father (1 Cor. 15:24). How come? Because His task is done. In Psalm 2, the Son was given the kingship (kingdom) in order to subdue rebel nations and their rulers. At the time of “the end”, Jesus can return the kingdom to the Father because He has “put an end” to all the rebellious rulers of the nations (1 Cor. 15:24). Until then, Jesus “must reign” until His enemies are put “under His feet” (1 Cor. 15:25).

     The idea of the Son (Jesus) sitting at the right hand of His Father, ruling until His enemies are subdued, is also found in Psalm 110, verse 1. Of all of the Old Testament verses that are quoted in New Testament, Psalm 110:1 is quoted more than any other. The writers of the New Testament obviously thought that this verse was very important. Psalm 110:1 says “The LORD said to my Lord, ‘Sit at My right hand, until I make Your enemies Your footstool’ ”.

     The New Testament tells us clearly what this phrase means. When Jesus died upon the cross, He made “one sacrifice for sins forever”. He then ascended into heaven and “sat down at the right hand of God”. There He sits, “waiting until His enemies are made His footstool” (Heb. 10:12-13).

     Look around you, does it look like the nations have been discipled? Are the nations submitting to Christ? If they are not, then we have no reason to believe that Christ will return soon. Jesus will not leave the Father’s right hand to return to earth until He finishes the task that was given to Him by the Father.

     The view that I have advocated in this article may be new to you, but it is not a new idea. In fact, this view has been the most common view in America throughout its history. From John Cotton (b.1584 – d.1652, one of best known preachers in the early Colonies), to the Great Awakening preachers Jonathan Edwards (1703 – 1758) and George Whitefield (1714 – 1770), to the great preachers of the 1800s, like Robert L. Dabney (Presbyterian, 1820 – 1898) and John L. Dagg (Southern Baptist, 1794 – 1884), the majority of American Christians believed that the nations would be converted before Christ’s return.

     I know that when you watch the nightly news, it is hard to believe that Christianity will prevail around the globe. But we must walk by faith, and not by sight. God will bless the preaching of His word. The Christ-empowered church will fulfill her commission.

2019-07-23T20:32:03+00:00May 17th, 2016|Categories: Eschatology, Theology|

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