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naddr1qv…5fc6One of the most significant underlining doctrines of our time is that of the rapture and the eschatological (study of the end times) understanding that the world will be overrun with evil, and God will ‘beam us up scotty’ either before the faeces hits the fan or after. There are slight variations in this ‘futurist eschatology’ I’ve just briefly explained. Many would agree that this is what the bible clearly teaches, and others will have a verse or two in their minds that without further study seems to validate this popular understanding.
Make no mistake, most Christians believe in a ‘futurist eschatology’ (see below), but the real question is why and how most of us have landed believing that things are going to get much worse on the planet, or that things will get better but will suddenly plummet down and Armageddon becomes more than a badly plotted movie. Some might be wondering “I never knew such a thing existed”, let alone know that there are different opinions on the matter. Keep reading because you’ll be surprised at how much this doctrine actually influences ALL your decisions.
To summarise, there are four major positions of interpreting “The book of Revelation”, which is the core book to influence our perspective on the future or “end times”.
Futurisme:
The belief that the events in the book of Revelation is referring to global events in our future. (popular since the 1800’s; the beast’ (see revelation 13 and 17) is a man and a new world order, many historical figures have been suggested in their time; Napoleon, Hitler, Stalin, Osama bin Laden, Barack Obama etc.).
Historicism:
The belief that the events have transpired over history like a timeline (popular in the 1500’s at the time of the reformation, notably that the Pope of the Catholic Church and the Papacy were the ‘beast’.
Preterism:
The belief that the events (most or all) have already taken place in the 1st century, climaxing at the destruction of Jerusalem in 70AD, Rome as a whole and Emperor Nero being considered the ‘beast’.
Idealism:
That the book is a symbolic battle between good and evil.
Before I get into the nitty gritty on history, specific scripture and their exegesis (a fancy word I never use in conversation, meaning critical study and interpretation on a text). Let me highlight why what we believe about the future influences our every decision.
One day in 10 years time you’re married to a beautiful/handsome spouse and have 7 children. You believe that the world will end soon and that there’s going to be a massive heavenly battle and the angels are going to use their majestic rippled muscled limbs to wreck havoc on all those that oppose. Nice. Or not nice if you chose the wrong side. Before that happens though your daughter wants $1000 to invest in some shares because she learned at school that if you put $1000 in shares today and top up $100 every month you’ll have accumulated a total of $72,000 in twenty years having only contributed $25,000 of your own money. Smart kid, that’s a good long term investment strategy.
You however don’t believe the world is going to exist in its normal state in another 20 years time, or you reason it might, but surely not much longer after that. So you say: “Sweety, I really don’t think that’s going to do you much good, the market is too volatile and I don’t foresee things getting better in the future, why don’t you spend your money on some clothes or go out with your friends”? Yes this is quite an elementary example and I’m sure you’ve all invested money into shares and it would never happen to you.
How about another scenario then? You believe the rapture will take place in your lifetime. You read your bible and see that Christians need to share the gospel, so you start to share with people, some people reject you, some are indifferent, and others are deeply touched. The ones that are impacted, you give them a bible and say go to church and get ready for the return of Christ (in your mind you’re thinking that means rapture). Some of them do, some go and fall away and still others somehow are consistent and are growing in the Lord, good job right? What about those people that fell through the cracks? That’s not my responsibility you say, they need to work out their own salvation with fear and trembling. Okay, have you considered that the responsibility is actually squarely on your shoulders? In regards to making a disciple, not a convert. Discipleship takes much longer, it takes time, it takes sacrifice, and it takes a perspective that there is even time for discipleship. Otherwise it’s a 6 week course in “How to be a Christian”.
Thankfully some of the church has in the last few decades focused a lot more on discipleship, even whilst holding the perspective of a futuristic eschatology. Yet even in this the reasoning is simple, they are doing their best to follow what they read in the bible regarding discipleship (rightfully so), and also a discipleship approach of evangelism retains and reaches more people, so it’s a more successful method to convert in any case. If this is you, you’re amazing, please keep making disciples! I however propose that you sincerely ask yourself what you would do differently if you believed the world would exist for another 200 years plus.
As you can see our belief on the future has extreme and subtle effects on our actions and decisions. Our society is peripheral to where the church is at, and right now the church as a whole believes that the end is soon and there’s no point in believing and acting like it’s a good thing to leave an inheritance for your children’s children. That is why we buy cheap, that is why we don’t invest, it is why we are driven by instant gratification. Why would you bother with all that if the world will end in a matter of years. It comes to whether you have a hope filled optimistic expanding Kingdom perspective on how the world is going to turn out or one that is governed by a defeatist/fatalistic mentality and perhaps even one fear riddled.
Now that we’ve looked at how our beliefs can be outworked in everyday life, let’s get into doctrine. Finally. Actually, some more history first.
I and many others find it helpful to look at history to see when a certain doctrine began to gain support and become the popular belief to determine its validity. Let’s jump in then, during the reformation, the Catholic Church was under fire and experiencing some mostly accurate criticism. In a response to Christians accusing the Pope and the Papacy of being the beast, a Jesuit priest wrote extensively that the events in the book of Revelation are referring to their future, thus eliminating the Pope and the Papacy of fault. His writings didn’t gain traction until the 1800’s where John Nelson Dalby adopted the belief and started widely teaching it, specifically on ‘Pre-tribulation rapture theology’ (we get raptured/caught up prior to the tribulation that will happen on the earth). I would like to explicitly mention that before this, proponents for a futurist eschatology were almost non-existent.
Then in the following early century (1909 to be exact), the first ever bible with commentary was printed. The Scofield bible. This bible was a massive advocate for dispensationalism and a futuristic eschatology; practically every bible college student got one of these bibles, and lo and behold an entire generation of pastors and theologians were massively influenced on their belief of the future. Couple that with two world wars, the reestablishment of the Jewish nation, Israel, and we have a perfect concoction for believing the time is near and Armageddon is around the corner.
Now there are entire books discussing all of this that I cannot even hope to cover even a slither, but if you are so inclined, see some recommendations at the end. I won’t attempt (nor can I) to extrapolate on everything there is regarding a ‘preterist view’ of Revelation, and a ‘victorious eschatology’ which was the orthodox view in early Christianity, but here is a summary of what you need to know.
The Kingdom of God:
As indicated by the statue in Daniel 2 was inaugurated with the birth of Jesus (coming of Jesus in the Manger), and started to expand and is still expanding. See Mathew 13:31-33. Also see Isaiah 2 for the hope for the future.
The destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D.
Wasn’t just an important event in history, it is paramount to the entire New testament and is referenced to in almost every book. To miss its importance is to miss understanding much of the New testament. This event is crucial to the progress of God’s redemptive plan in history, with the final removal of the temple and the genealogical records of the priests therein, the old (mosaic) covenant closes and the new covenant is fully and permanently established.
“When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in the country not enter the city. For this is the time of punishment in fulfillment of all that has been written. - Luke 21:20-22
John the Baptist proclaims judgement on the Jews in Matthew 3:10-12. See also Matthew 7:19 “The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” This provides the backdrop to Jerusalem erupting in flames in A.D. 70. Later Jesus declares John is Elijah to come (Matt 11:14) fulfilling the prophecy in Malachi 4:5-6, as he proclaims judgment in Israel before the great and terrible day of the Lord (John mentions the day of the Lord in Rev 6:17; 16:14).
In Matt 12:39 Jesus regards the Jews of His day as an adulterous generation, the same imagery is found in Revelation 17:3 as John presents Jerusalem as a harlot (see also Isa 1:21; Jer 2:20; 3:1,6,8; Eze 16:9, 15-17, 26; Hos 2:5; 4:10; 12-15). In Matthew 23:34-35 Jesus warns that God will judge 1st century Jews for the righteous blood that was shed in the land (we see the same statement in Rev 18:24). In Matt 23:36-38 Jesus laments Jerusalem’s destruction and declares the temple desolate, John declares Jerusalem is desolate in Rev 17:16. After that Jesus prophesies its destruction in Matt 24:2-3 and Luke 21:24, and John uses the same language as Luke, in Rev 11:2. In Matthew 24:16 Jesus urges his followers to flee Judea because “this generation will experience judgement (Matt 23:32). John calls the saints out of Jerusalem in Rev 18:4.
I could go on but there are books for that. Here's the simplicity of it; John’s general message in Revelation is ‘the divorce of Israel and God’s marriage to the new covenant church’ (which obviously includes Jews if they turn to Christ). The ‘second coming of Christ’ came when he came in judgement on Jerusalem. There is another coming, hold your horses I’ll get there.
The 'Olivet discourse’ of Matthew 24:
Is referring to 1st century events and uses prophetic symbolic language (stars falling, moon to blood, sun darkened etc.) to demonstrate a toppling of governments, see Isa 13:10,13 referring to Babylon; Isa 34:4 referring to Edom; and Eze 32:7-8 referring to Egypt. Also think of Joseph and how his family were stars, a moon and a sun and that they bowed to him. Again, it’s language to communicate a natural toppling of governments or exchange of political dominion. Not a global catastrophic Armageddon.
The Anti-Christ:
Used only four times in the bible (1 John 2:18; 1 John 2:22; 1 John 4:3; 2 John 1:7). It has always been a referenced to a false teaching in the 1st century that claimed Jesus had not come in the flesh. A gnostic heresy.
The Beast, the mark of the Beast, and his number 666:
Referring to Emperor Nero who was called a beast, forced people to get markings of him to be able to buy and sell in the marketplace (Rev 13:16-17), see a short video on the matter https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wng3jcfMkZU. Now Gematria is a Jewish Interpretive method that assigns numerical value of Hebrew letters to words. We find this with the number of the beast being 616 (in Latin) or 666 (in Hebrew), with the values added up it spells Nero Caesar. See this 2 min video https://youtu.be/JXkTc18xBoM. Some people, like in the video say that he represents a future beast as well, this is simply poor and biased exegesis and is thus construed to validate their pre-existing beliefs.
The Word Rapture:
Found in 1 Thessalonians 4:17; “After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up (rapturo in Latin) together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever”. The entire bases of the doctrine of the rapture is found in this one simple verse. Yet all it means is that we will be gathered to Jesus and the past saints/Christians at His return.
What now? Is everything done?
Well not quite.. Jesus’ Return: Jesus will return as is promised in Acts 1:11, but it won’t be with a massive army to lay plunder to the earth, well maybe, but I highly doubt it. “…will come back to you in the same way you have seen Him go into heaven”. The resurrection of the dead: Zombies! Kidding, just mass people coming back to life. See 1 Thessalonians and 1 Corinthians 15. The Great judgement: The great judgement day of the sheep and the goats in Matt 25.
That’s it, so until then, however long that will take (my money is on 197 years), let’s keep bringing the Kingdom of God to earth, lets pray for miracles, make healthy disciples that reproduce, transform every facet of society to look like heaven, and establish a Kingdom legacy that our Lord and King would be excited to come back to.
Ps. My views on Gods judgment on the 1st century Jews is not that he wanted to destroy them, but rather he was bringing judgment on an old covenantal system, the Jews that clung to that sinking ship unfortunately went down with it.
Book Recommendations: Understanding the whole bible – Jonathan Welton Raptureless – Jonathan Welton The art of revelation – Jonathan Welton Before Jerusalem Fell: Dating the book of revelation – Kenneth L Gentry Navigating the book of Revelation - Kenneth L Gentry Victorious eschatology: A partial Preterist view – Harold R Eberle and Martin Trench
Theologian Gary Demar
Gustavus on Nostr: An article I wrote several years ago but feel is paramount in today’s world. ...
An article I wrote several years ago but feel is paramount in today’s world. Hopefully a worldview that can better govern our psyches.