Eschatology Biblestudy
Notes
Transcript
There is so much that is going on today. We have things that are going on in our personal lives, things going on in our community, things going on in our city, things going on in our country, things going on in the world.
In a sense these things can be broken down into 2 categories:
Micro- the view of things in the immediate scope.
Macro- the view of things on the broader scope.
Micro deals with things that affect us personally and immediately:
You (body, mind, spirit), family, friends, church family, neighbors.
Macro deals with things in the broader sense:
Community, city, nation, world.
Tonight in our study, we are going to view these two levels in lieu of eschatology.
The biggest thing that is happening in our lives today that is affecting everyone is the COVID-19. Considering this virus, we can say that this illness is affecting everyone on both micro and macro levels of sociology. So yes, we are mixing a little bit of sociology into this study. Sociology is the study of society on both the micro and macro levels of sociology.
COVID-19 is affecting us on the micro level because it is impacting us directly. It is affecting jobs, it is affecting us mentally, it is affecting us physically, and with some people it is affecting them spiritually. Not only is it affecting us on a personal level- some of us are sick w/ COVID-19 or our isolation or stress is causing other illnesses within our bodies. If you are not sick, COVID-19 could be causing emotional discomfort in the form of stress and anxiety, depression, loneliness, or fear. COVID-19 it is affecting our family, our friends, our jobs, our churches. Things that we normally can find a grocery store, we have to track down like a skilled hunter to locate. So in a sense we can say that it is affecting us on a micro-level.
On a macro level- many places have shut down, stores that we like to shop in or places that we like to go for entertainment are closed. Jobs are shutdown, economy on its way down, many public services have discontinued. Voting, in a sense has been shutdown.
So “why is this happening” I keep hearing people ask the question.
Answer:
There isn’t a definitive answer. Why? Because we don’t know the mind of God unless God himself in particular tells us. Again, we must not make the mistake of being like Job’s friends and assume that what has taken place is because of God’s judgement and wrath......YET......we must not rule out the possibility of God’s judgement and wrath because of what is written in the scriptures (We are going to look at what is written in the scriptures). Do I believe that judgement and wrath are taking place? Absolutely! Yet, mercy and grace are also taking place as well.
9 The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.
I know that some people have one way to view things, however you need to consider not just one part but the whole picture. Everything is not black and white, there are some colors intertwined within the spectrum. Sometimes when problems arise there isn’t one particular cause or reason, sometimes there could be a myriad of problems and underlying things that produces the one symptom if you will.
So now then, what are the spectrums?
1. Judgement and wrath against sin.
Theologically, God sent pestilence (sickness/diseases) upon Israel for their persistent unbelief and their unfaithfulness.
We have to understand pestilence biblically from two perspectives:
a. From the perspective of God’s people.
b. From the perspective of those who were not God’s people.
Okay, so from the perspective of God’s people, why did God send pestilence? Again, for the persistent unbelief and their unfaithfulness. In regards to these two statuses, God sent illness to get His people to repent! Often in Israel’s history, they would stray away from God, they would turn from the living God to idols and gods of their imagination. They were unfaithful so God being the loving God that He is, would send something their way to get their attention. I truly believe that this is the case today, that God is simply trying to get the church’s attention not only the church but the world’s attention.
So when God is trying to get our attention, what needs to happen is found in 1 Kings 8:37-40. Solomon is praying:
37 “If there is a famine in the land or a plague or crop disease or attacks of locusts or caterpillars, or if your people’s enemies are in the land besieging their towns—whatever disaster or disease there is—38 and if your people Israel pray about their troubles, raising their hands toward this Temple, 39 then hear from heaven where you live, and forgive. Give your people what their actions deserve, for you alone know each human heart. 40 Then they will fear you as long as they live in the land you gave to our ancestors.
The simplest answer I can give you from a theological perspective is that we are living in the end times.
The end-times is what is called in theological circles “eschatology”.
Eschatology- theology branch concerned with the final events of history or humanity. Theology deals with the study of God and the study of God’s word. Hence Theology is the study of God from the perspective of the Bible.
Well what happens at the end of time? Let’s look at a couple of scriptures:
1 “At that time Michael, the archangel who stands guard over your nation, will arise. Then there will be a time of anguish greater than any since nations first came into existence. But at that time every one of your people whose name is written in the book will be rescued. 2 Many of those whose bodies lie dead and buried will rise up, some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting disgrace. 3 Those who are wise will shine as bright as the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever. 4 But you, Daniel, keep this prophecy a secret; seal up the book until the time of the end, when many will rush here and there, and knowledge will increase.”
5 Then I, Daniel, looked and saw two others standing on opposite banks of the river. 6 One of them asked the man dressed in linen, who was now standing above the river, “How long will it be until these shocking events are over?”
7 The man dressed in linen, who was standing above the river, raised both his hands toward heaven and took a solemn oath by the One who lives forever, saying, “It will go on for a time, times, and half a time. When the shattering of the holy people has finally come to an end, all these things will have happened.”
8 I heard what he said, but I did not understand what he meant. So I asked, “How will all this finally end, my lord?”
9 But he said, “Go now, Daniel, for what I have said is kept secret and sealed until the time of the end. 10 Many will be purified, cleansed, and refined by these trials. But the wicked will continue in their wickedness, and none of them will understand. Only those who are wise will know what it means.
11 “From the time the daily sacrifice is stopped and the sacrilegious object that causes desecration is set up to be worshiped, there will be 1,290 days. 12 And blessed are those who wait and remain until the end of the 1,335 days!
13 “As for you, go your way until the end. You will rest, and then at the end of the days, you will rise again to receive the inheritance set aside for you.”
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
1 You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. 2 For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. 3 They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. 4 They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. 5 They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!
6 They are the kind who work their way into people’s homes and win the confidence of vulnerable women who are burdened with the guilt of sin and controlled by various desires. 7 (Such women are forever following new teachings, but they are never able to understand the truth.) 8 These teachers oppose the truth just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses. They have depraved minds and a counterfeit faith. 9 But they won’t get away with this for long. Someday everyone will recognize what fools they are, just as with Jannes and Jambres.
18 Dear children, the last hour is here. You have heard that the Antichrist is coming, and already many such antichrists have appeared. From this we know that the last hour has come. 19 These people left our churches, but they never really belonged with us; otherwise they would have stayed with us. When they left, it proved that they did not belong with us.
20 But you are not like that, for the Holy One has given you his Spirit, and all of you know the truth. 21 So I am writing to you not because you don’t know the truth but because you know the difference between truth and lies. 22 And who is a liar? Anyone who says that Jesus is not the Christ. Anyone who denies the Father and the Son is an antichrist. 23 Anyone who denies the Son doesn’t have the Father, either. But anyone who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.
24 So you must remain faithful to what you have been taught from the beginning. If you do, you will remain in fellowship with the Son and with the Father. 25 And in this fellowship we enjoy the eternal life he promised us.
26 I am writing these things to warn you about those who want to lead you astray. 27 But you have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, so you don’t need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true—it is not a lie. So just as he has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ.
8 I looked up and saw a horse whose color was pale green. Its rider was named Death, and his companion was the Grave. These two were given authority over one-fourth of the earth, to kill with the sword and famine and disease and wild animals.
1 Those who live in the shelter of the Most High
will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 This I declare about the Lord:
He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;
he is my God, and I trust him.
3 For he will rescue you from every trap
and protect you from deadly disease.
If God brings you through this then:
16 But I have spared you for a purpose—to show you my power and to spread my fame throughout the earth.
Church contingency plan:
Make sure you have the seal!
16 “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
9 The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.
15 And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. 16 Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned.
46 And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: 47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? 38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
9 But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.)
22 and he has identified us as his own by placing the Holy Spirit in our hearts as the first installment that guarantees everything he has promised us.
30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
The church needs to pray:
37 “If there is a famine in the land or a plague or crop disease or attacks of locusts or caterpillars, or if your people’s enemies are in the land besieging their towns—whatever disaster or disease there is—