I often get asked to teach
on eschatology. Eschatology is just a
fancy theological word to say, "The study of all the stuff that happens at
the end of the age or the end of humankind." It comes from the Greek words ESKHATOS,
meaning "last", and LOGY, meaning "the study of." Therefore, eschatology involves the study of
end times, which would include topics such as Christ's second coming, His millennial
reign, the Great Tribulation, the rapture of the Church, the fulfillment of the
Time of the Gentiles, the Time of Jacob's Trouble, the Day of the Lord, the resurrection
of the dead, judgment, heaven and hell.
Although I am interested in end-times study and have dabbled in it for
over ten years, I am not all that interested in teaching on it. I have only taught one thing about it on this
blog that I posted in a seven-part series, and even when I posted it I made it
clear that I had prayed to God to grant me understanding of a particular matter
and what I wrote was what I felt to be an answer to that prayer. What I wrote was still "my"
understanding of how the pieces of the puzzle fit together.
And that is the reality of
eschatology. Anyone who teaches on it is
teaching their personal understanding of it, which is why there are so many
variant takes on what the end times will look like and how it exactly plays
out. No matter what is taught, it's
still speculation on how prophetic Scripture should be interpreted. I received a message the other day from a
friend lamenting over Christians arguing over a pre-, mid-, or post-tribulation
rapture. That is another reality of
eschatology-- people arguing over speculation.
Here is the thing that people need to come to grips with: the Pharisees of Jesus' time were experts in
Scripture and in interpreting it, it was their job, their lives revolved around
it, and they had done it for hundreds of years, they had a rock-solid interpretation
of what the arrival of their Messiah was going to look like and what He was
going to do, so that is what they were all looking for and teaching others to
look for......but they were wrong. Every
Jew during the time of Christ was looking for a Messiah who would be a great
warrior that would overcome their oppressors.
They were looking for Messiah Ben David (the conquering King) so they
missed Messiah Ben Joseph (the Suffering Servant). And it never occurred to them or even entered
their minds that Moshiach Ben David and Moshiach Ben Joseph would be the same
person. Something that is clear to us
now, after-the-fact, was unfathomable then.
This is what I think about
when I see people teaching their interpretations of eschatological Scriptures
as fact. Or writing books that lay out a
scenario based on their interpretation of Scripture. Or arguing over their particular
interpretation with others who have a different interpretation. Could any of these interpretations be
possible? Sure. Are these interpretations certain? No.
The prophetic genre is both forthtelling and foretelling. Forthtelling prophecies were messages for a
prophet's own audience about their own day or the near future (1). Foretelling prophecies are messages for a
future audience about their own day and time.
In both instances, the prophecy is meant to be understood by the people it
was written for in the time for which it was written. Meaning, foretelling prophetic Scripture will
only be properly understood at the specific time with which the prophecy is dealing
with and afterwards. For example, the
prophecy at Isaiah 17 about the destruction of Damascus will only be properly
understood and interpreted around the time that it actually happens, and not
before. And there will certainly be a
clear understanding after-the-fact, which is one of the functions of
prophecy. The fullness of understanding
is more-so meant to be after-the-fact, as a sort of "let the record
show" that God was in control the entire time.
Prophecy glorifies God and
His sovereignty. It shows that He always
has a plan in place, no matter what choices we make. It confirms that He is the Alpha and the
Omega, knowing the beginning from the end and the end from the beginning
(Isaiah 46:10). It doesn't negate human
will or human decision, it merely shows that there is nothing we can do to take
us outside of God's sovereignty or omniscience.
No matter what choices we make, He will always be there working around
them in such a way that leads us to an outcome of ultimate good. Prophecy has been given to us as a gift-- a
gift of warning, a gift of knowledge, and a gift of hope.
"Remember the
former things long past, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and
there is no one like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient
times things which have not been done, saying, 'My purpose will be established
and I will accomplish all My good pleasure;'" (Isaiah 46:9,10)
"I declared the
former things long ago and they went forth from My mouth, and I proclaimed
them. Suddenly I acted, and they came to pass." (Isaiah 48:3)
"This is what the
Lord says-- Israel's King and Redeemer, the Lord Almighty: I am the first and I am the last; apart from
Me there is no God. Who then is like Me? Let him proclaim it. Let him declare
and lay out before Me what has happened since I established My ancient people,
and what is yet to come-- yes, let them foretell what will come. Do not
tremble, do not be afraid. Did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago?
You are My witnesses. Is there any God besides Me? No, there is no other Rock;
I know not one." (Isaiah 44:6-8)
(1) Klein, William W., et al. Introduction to Biblical Interpretation. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 1993.
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