End Times Prophecy 2

Review

A brief and shaky history of the concept of eternity

A look at the history of resurrection thought

Agreed upon concepts

Salvation is by Christ alone, faith alone

There will be a resurrection of the dead

Scripture is to be believed

There will be a judgment

There will be an eternal state

Four views of Revelation: idealist, preterist, historicist, futurist

Four understandings of the end times

All are related to the timing of the Rapture—the snatching away of the believers and, to a lesser extent, the Great Tribulation

A-mil, post-mil, historic pre-mil, dispensational pre-mil (some variance of DPM)

An unanswered question: what is the Great Tribulation?

What is “The Day of the Lord?

Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary (Day of the Lord)

DAY OF THE LORD Time when God reveals His sovereignty over human powers and human existence. The Day of the Lord rests on the Hebrew term, yom, “day,” the fifth most frequent noun used in the OT and one used with a variety of meanings: time of daylight from sunrise to sunset (Gen. 1:14; 3:8; 8:22; Amos 5:8); 24-hour period (Gen. 1:5); a general expression for “time” without specific limits (Gen. 2:4; Ps. 102:3; Isa. 7:17); the period of a specific event (Jer. 32:31; Ezek. 1:28). The “Day of the Lord” then does not give a precise time period. It may mean the daylight hours, the 24-hour day, or a general time period, perhaps characterized by a special event. Zechariah 14:7 even points to a time when all time is daylight, night with its darkness having vanished.“Day of the Lord” does not in itself designate the time perspective of the event, whether it is past, present, or future. Lamentations 2:1 can speak of the “day of the Lord’s anger” in past tense, describing the fall of Jerusalem. Joel 1:15 could describe a present disaster as the “Day of the Lord.”The OT prophets used a term familiar to their audience, a term by which the audience expected light and salvation (Amos 5:18), but the prophets painted it as a day of darkness and judgment (Isa. 2:10–22; 13:6, 9; Joel 1:15; 2:1–11, 31; 3:14–15; Amos 5:20; Zeph. 1:7–8, 14–18; Mal. 4:5). The OT language of the Day of the Lord is thus aimed at warning sinners among God’s people of the danger of trusting in traditional religion without commitment to God and His way of life. It is language that could be aimed at judging Israel or that could be used to promise deliverance from evil enemies (Isa. 13:6, 9; Ezek. 30:3; Obad. 15). The Day of the Lord is thus a point in time in which God displays His sovereign initiative to reveal His control of history, of time, of His people, and of all people.New Testament writers took up the OT expression to point to Christ’s final victory and the final judgment of sinners. In so doing, they used several different expressions (HCSB): “day of Christ Jesus” (Phil. 1:6), “day of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 1:8); “Day of the Lord” (1 Cor. 5:5; 1 Thess. 5:2); “day of Christ” (Phil. 1:10; 2:16); “day of judgment” (1 John 4:17); “this day” (1 Thess. 5:4); “that day” (2 Tim. 1:12); “day of wrath” (Rom. 2:5).People who take a dispensational perspective on Scripture often seek to interpret each of the terms differently, so that the “day of Christ” is a day of blessing equated with the rapture, whereas the day of God is an inclusive term for all the events of end time (2 Pet. 3:12). In this view the Day of the Lord includes the great tribulation, the following judgment on the nations, and the time of worldwide blessing under the rule of the Messiah.Many Bible students who do not take a dispensational viewpoint interpret the several expressions in the NT to refer to one major event: the end time when Christ returns for the final judgment and establishes His eternal kingdom. Whichever interpretation one makes of specific details, the Day of the Lord points to the promise that God’s eternal sovereignty over all creation and all nations will one day become crystal clear to all creatures.

The Second Coming of Christ

Single most important point, He IS coming back. Seen a few weeks ago in Acts 1 11

Acts 1:11 (ESV)

“Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

Scholars call it the parousia

One thing to be sure, it’s coming

Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine (Second Edition) 1. Verses Predicting a Sudden and Unexpected Coming of Christ

The prophets were little interested in chronology, and the future was always viewed as imminent … the Old Testament prophets blended the near and the distant perspectives so as to form a single canvas. Biblical prophecy is not primarily three-dimensional but two; it has height and breadth but is little concerned about depth, i.e., the chronology of future events … the distant is viewed through the transparency of the immediate. It is true that the early church lived in expectancy of the return of the Lord, and it is the nature of biblical prophecy to make it possible for every generation to live in expectancy of the end.

Quote of George Ladd, Commentary on Revelation

It will be unexpected Matt 25 13

Matthew 25:13 ESV

Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

Also Mk. 13: 14-37, 1 Cor 16:22, Php. 3:20

Another question: are certain things to happen BEFORE the second coming?

According to Berkhoff’s Systematic Theology:

Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine (Second Edition) 2. Verses that Say Several Signs Must Precede Christ’s Return

“According to Scripture several important events must occur before the return of the Lord, and therefore it cannot be called imminent

If so, will that give us clues as to exactly when it will occur, allowing us to figure out the date? Mt. 24:14, Mk. 13:10?

How about the Great Tribulation? Must it happen first? Mk 13:7-8, 19-20

The False Prophets: Mk 13:22

Mark 13:24–26 ESV

“But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.

Salvation of all Israel Ro. 11 25-26

Romans 11:25–26 ESV

Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, “The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”;

Dissecting the Rapture

Dominantly a concern of pre-millennial believers

What is it? What Scriptures lead us to the thought?

RAPTURE God’s taking the church out of the world instantaneously. The Latin term rapio, which means to “snatch away” or “carry off,” is the source of the English word. While there are differing views of the millennium (Rev. 20:2–7) in relation to Christ’s second coming (e.g., premillennial, postmillennial, and amillennial), nevertheless, all evangelicals affirm a literal return of Christ to the earth preceding the eternal state. In premillennialism, however, the distinct event of the rapture is often emphasized.

The main biblical passage for the rapture (Gk. harpazo) of the church is 1 Thess. 4:15–17. Other texts often used to support the doctrine of the rapture are John 14:1–3 and 1 Cor. 15:51–52. There are three main approaches to understanding the rapture in premillennialism: (1) In the pretribulational view Christ raptures the church before any part of the seven-year tribulation begins (Dan. 9:24–27; Matt. 24:3–28; Rev. 11:2; 12:14). Upon Christ’s coming in the air, which is distinct from and that precedes His coming to the earth, believers will be “caught up together … in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air” (1 Thess. 4:17 HCSB). In this view believers are delivered “from the coming wrath” (1 Thess. 1:10; Rev. 3:10) by being taken out of the world. (2) A midtribulational view also sees the rapture as a distinct event that precedes Christ’s second coming and delivers believers from the last half of the seven-year period, the “great tribulation” (Matt. 24:15–28; Rev. 16–18). (3) A posttribulational view holds that the rapture and the second coming occur at the same time. Therefore, the church remains on earth during “the time of Jacob’s distress” (Jer. 30:7 NASB). Unlike the world, however, believers who go through the tribulation will be protected from the devastating outpouring of God’s wrath and judgment (1 Thess. 5:9)

Pete Schemm, “Rapture,” ed. Chad Brand et al., Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2003), 1366.

The Great Tribulation

Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine (Second Edition) b. Great Tribulation

b. Great Tribulation. Once again, it seems likely that the language of Scripture indicates a period of suffering coming to the earth that is far greater than anything that has yet been experienced. But it must be realized that many interpreters throughout history have understood Jesus’ warnings about great tribulation to refer to the Roman siege of Jerusalem in the Jewish War of AD 66–70. The suffering during that war was indeed terrible and could be what was described by Jesus in predicting this tribulation. In fact, since the first century, there have been many periods of violent and intense persecution of Christians, and even in our lifetimes much of it has occurred over large portions of the globe, with Christians being horribly persecuted in the former Soviet Union, in communist China, in North Korea, and in Muslim countries. It would be difficult to convince some Christians today, who have undergone decades of persecution for their faith and have known that persecution to affect thousands of other Christians throughout large segments of the world, that such a great tribulation has certainly not yet occurred. They have longed and prayed for years for Christ to come and rescue them from the tribulation that they are enduring.

Grudem’s S/T

The Antichrist

The term only appears in John’s writings, in the 1st letter @ 2:18, 22; 4:3; 2nd letter @ 1:7

antichristos/antichristoi

Context of both letters is combatting heresies

Apparent from 1/2:18, the concept is out there

Concept is in Jesus’s teachings in the Gospels (Matt 24:4–5; Mark 13:5–6; Luke 21:8).

Mk 13:22 references pseudochristoi & pseudoprophētai

In 2 Thes., Paul references the “day of Lord” and discusses the “man of lawlessness @ 2:3

From GotQuestions.org

Most Bible prophecy/eschatology experts believe the Antichrist will be the ultimate embodiment of what it means to be against Christ. In the end times/last hour, a man will arise to oppose Christ and His followers more than anyone else in history. Likely claiming to be the true Messiah, the Antichrist will seek world domination and will attempt to destroy all followers of Jesus Christ and the nation of Israel. Other biblical references to the Antichrist include the following: The imposing, boastful king of Daniel 7 who oppresses the Jews and tries to “change the set times and the laws” (verse 25). The leader who establishes a 7-year covenant with Israel and then breaks it in Daniel 9. The king who sets up the abomination of desolation in Mark 13:14 (cf. Daniel 9:27). The man of lawlessness in 2 Thessalonians 2:1–12. The rider on a white horse (representing his claim to be a man of peace) in Revelation 6:2. The first beast—the one from the sea—in Revelation 13. This beast receives power from the dragon (Satan) and speaks “proud words and blasphemies” (verse 5) and wages war against the saints (verse 7). Thankfully, the Antichrist/beast, along with his false prophet, will be thrown into the lake of fire, where they will spend all eternity in torment (Revelation 19:20; 20:10). What is the Antichrist? In summary, the Antichrist is the end-times false messiah who seeks, and likely achieves, world domination so that he can destroy Israel and all followers of Jesus Christ.