Lecture 1: Eschatology
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· 20 viewsLecture 1: Eschatology The Study of Last Things
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1.0 The Introduction to Eschatology.
1.0 The Introduction to Eschatology.
Many people believes everything dealing with the end times are only found in the Book of Revelation.
As we study the prophecy of the end times, you will see that this doctrine is found throughout the Bible.
In this course we will discuss the different views, Bible Books,Scriptures, and beliefs of the end times.
1.1 The Study of Eschatology:
1.1 The Study of Eschatology:
Eschatology is a major branch of study within Christian theology dealing with the “Last Things.” (The End of the World)
The word Eschatology is from two Greek words.
Eschat: meaning Last or Last Things
ology: meaning Study of.
Eschatology is the study concerned with the ultimate destiny of the individual and the entire created order, based upon Biblical texts within the Old and New Testament.
Eschatology looks at the study and discuss matters such as death and the afterlife, Heaven and Hell,
the Rapture (the resurrection of dead in christ, rapture of the church, the ones who are alive and remain) and the great 7 year tribulation, the antichrist,
The second coming of Jesus Christ, the millennial reign of Jesus Christ, and the last judgments,
The New Heaven, New Earth, and the New Jerusalem.
1.2 The difference between the Rapture and the Second Coming.
1.2 The difference between the Rapture and the Second Coming.
The Rapture and the Second Coming are two different events separated by 7 years.
The Rapture of the church.
This events is first.
The Rapture is when Jesus Christ comes for His Bride or saints (the church).
He will not touch His feet on the Earth.
He will meet the church in the air.
16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
The word Rapture is best defined as being transported from one place to another.
Enoch in the Book of Genesis is the first man to be raptured up.
You can clearly see in verse 24, that Enoch did not die.
Enoch walked with God,
And he was not. meaning he did not die.
Because God took him. Which is viewed by theologians as being Rapture Up .
5 By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.
Hebrews 11:5 clearly states that Enoch was translated straight to Heaven, and did not die a physical death.
The word Rapture in not found in the Bible.
The word Rapture comes from a Latin word “RAPIO”.
For the two words “CAUGHT UP”.
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
An example of the Rapture is found in the Book of Revelation.
1 After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.
2 And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.
This Scripture describes both the view of the,
Rapture.
and receiving Our New Glorified Body.
The Second Coming of Jesus Christ.
This events happens sometime after the 7 year tribulation and the last Vial Judgment, around the time of the Battle of Armageddon.
The Second Coming of Jesus Christ is when Jesus comes back with His church.
This time Jesus will descend and touch His feet down, from where he ascended up from after the resurrection.
9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.
10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;
11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.
4 And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, Which is before Jerusalem on the east, And the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, And there shall be a very great valley; And half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, And half of it toward the south.
1.3 The Signs of the End Times.
1.3 The Signs of the End Times.
The most conflicting teachings of the End Times are the Signs of the End Times.
Most people teach the Signs of the End Times are found in the Book of Matthew.
1 And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple.
2 And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.
3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
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.
9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.
10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)
16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:
17 Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house:
18 Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.
19 And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!
20 But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:
21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.
23 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.
24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
25 Behold, I have told you before.
26 Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.
27 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
43 But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.
44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
These Scriptures are not referring to the Rapture but, the Great 7 Year Tribulation, and the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.
Some preachers teach from this Scripture.
To describe the signs of events leading up to the Rapture.
Another Scripture referring to the signs of the End Times is found in 2 Timothy chapter 3.
Some theologians also use this to describe the events before the Rapture.
1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,
7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
(Verse 2) For men shall be lovers of their own self's.
Selfishness
Men are in love with themselves
Men are in love with their sins
Covetous.
Lovers of money.
Lovers of other people property
People desire what they can’t have.
Boasters.
Those who are arrogate about themselves.
Honor which does not fairly belong to them.
Proud.
These are people who look down on others beneath them.
Either in social position.
Wealth.
Natural gifts.
Blasphemers.
Is a word that means someone is speaking badly about religion, or insulting God.
Disobedient to parents.
Children who disrespects or fails to obey his or her parents.
Unthankful.
A person who is ungrateful for the things they have recieved.
Unholy.
A person who continues to live in sin.
(Verse 3) Without natural affection.
Hard-hearted
Cold
Without love.
Trucebreakers.
Breaks a peace agreement.
(which usually accompanied a treaty of some sort.)
False Accusers.
Falsely accuse others of wrong doing.
an example of this can be found in the book of Job.
Where Satan accuses Job before God.
6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them.
7 And the Lord said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.
8 And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?
9 Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?
10 Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.
11 But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.
12 And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord.
Another example of false accusing is found in the Book of Matthew.
Where the chief priest and elders accused Jesus before Pilate.
Incontinent.
Powerless
Or without self-control.
Fierce.
Savage.
Likes to fight and destroy.
Despisers of those that are good.
Hostile to those who do good.
The action of one that does bad.
Can turn violate to those who try to do good.
(Verse 4) Traitors.
Betrayer
One who betrays, wither it be,
Friend
Country
Family
Heady.
Headstrong in,
Words.
Thoughts.
Action.
Highminded.
Blinded by pride.
Lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God.
Men who would make any sacrifice to procure his pleasure.
A man who who give nothing up in order to honor the Lord.
(Verse 5) Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
Those who have a form of godliness,
Are those who make an outward display of religion,
But it is all for show.
There is no power behind their religion,
As evidenced in the fact that their lives are unchanged.
They speak of God, but live in sin.
Charles Ellicott wrote, “These, by claiming the title of Christians, wearing before men the uniform of Jesus Christ, but by their lives dishonoring His name, did the gravest injury to the holy Christian cause.”
(Verse 6) For of this sort are they which creep into the houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins.
Talks about how women will allow false teachers in their house.
Because they are more trusting.
The word captive means:
Without freedom
The word silly means:
Foolish or void of understanding.
Led away with divers lusts.
Forbidden desires.
(Verse 7) Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Someone who masters science, education, or any other intellectual pursuit.
But fails to gain wisdom and learn what matters most.
1.4 The Different Views and Doctrines of the End Times.
1.4 The Different Views and Doctrines of the End Times.
Pre-tribulation View.
The Rapture occurs before the 7 year Great Tribulation
10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
Jesus is referring to the tribulation period.
If believers are to be saved from the tribulation,
Then the rapture has to precede the tribulation.
God has always spared His saints from His Judgmental Wrath.
Noah and his family
5 And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
6 And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.
7 And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.
8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.
9 These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.
10 And Noah begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.
12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
Lot and his three daughters and wife.
20 And the Lord said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous;
21 I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know.
22 And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the Lord.
23 And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?
24 Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein?
25 That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?
26 And the Lord said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.
27 And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes:
28 Peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous: wilt thou destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said, If I find there forty and five, I will not destroy it.
29 And he spake unto him yet again, and said, Peradventure there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for forty’s sake.
30 And he said unto him, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Peradventure there shall thirty be found there. And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there.
31 And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord: Peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for twenty’s sake.
32 And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten’s sake.
33 And the Lord went his way, as soon as he had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place.
1 And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground;
2 And he said, Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant’s house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and go on your ways. And they said, Nay; but we will abide in the street all night.
3 And he pressed upon them greatly; and they turned in unto him, and entered into his house; and he made them a feast, and did bake unleavened bread, and they did eat.
4 But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter:
5 And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them.
6 And Lot went out at the door unto them, and shut the door after him,
7 And said, I pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly.
8 Behold now, I have two daughters which have not known man; let me, I pray you, bring them out unto you, and do ye to them as is good in your eyes: only unto these men do nothing; for therefore came they under the shadow of my roof.
9 And they said, Stand back. And they said again, This one fellow came in to sojourn, and he will needs be a judge: now will we deal worse with thee, than with them. And they pressed sore upon the man, even Lot, and came near to break the door.
10 But the men put forth their hand, and pulled Lot into the house to them, and shut to the door.
11 And they smote the men that were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great: so that they wearied themselves to find the door.
12 And the men said unto Lot, Hast thou here any besides? son in law, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and whatsoever thou hast in the city, bring them out of this place:
13 For we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxen great before the face of the Lord; and the Lord hath sent us to destroy it.
1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
1 After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.
2 And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.
3 And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.
9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
Partial tribulation view.
Not all believers will be raptured.
But only those who have some degree of spiritual attainment.
That makes them worthy.
This view makes the rapture a reward.
Not a privilege of being born again.
The main problem with this view is.
That some Christians enter the tribulation.
Which violates the other verses such as Revelation 3:10.
10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
Which clearly teach that believers will not enter the tribulation.
If this view is correct then how will Jesus choose the ones to be raptured?
Mid-tribulation view.
The rapture will occur at the midway point of the 7 year tribulation.
It is the belief that Jesus Christ will rapture the church.
In the middle of the tribulation.
With the two witnesses in Revelation 11:12 serving as an example.
12 And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.
One weakness to this belief is the two witnesses.
They are Jews who have come to minister to the Jews in Jerusalem.
Not church age believers.
Another issue is that this view is it overlooks the fact that Revelation 4:1-3.
That shows the apostle John (a church age believer)
Being taken up to Heaven as an illustration of the rapture of the saints.
Post-tribulation view.
I call this the U-Turn view.
The rapture occurs at the end of the 7 year tribulation period.
This is the second most popular view.
And is preached in a lot of Southern Baptist Churches today.
This is where Jesus Christ comes after the end of the 7 year tribulation.
Which means all believers will have to go through the whole 7 year tribulation.
And be raptured just before that glorious second coming of Jesus Christ.
There are many problems with this view.
Jesus promised to keep believers from the time of trials. (Revelation 3:10)
10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
This promise would be broken if Jesus came after a large number of.
Church age believers were martyred.
This leaves another problem.
No time for the Judgment Seat of Christ.
No time for the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.
Those events happens in Heaven after the rapture of the church.
1.5 The Last Fulfilled Prophecy.
1.5 The Last Fulfilled Prophecy.
Israel reunites as a Nation.
The is know by the name of The Vision of the Valley of Dry Bones or the Battle of Dry Bones. (Ezekiel 37: 1-10)
1 The hand of the Lord was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones,
2 And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry.
3 And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord God, thou knowest.
4 Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.
5 Thus saith the Lord God unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live:
6 And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the Lord.
7 So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone.
8 And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them.
9 Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord God; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.
10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army.
Ezekiel is seeing a vision from God.
A valley filled with scattered dry bones.
The scattered bone represent the Nation of Israel scattered around the world. (in captivity)
He sees these bone start to come together and resurrect.
In this part of the vision, Ezekiel is seeing the future from God.
That Nation of Israel will one day become a unified Nation once again.
This prophecy took over 2,000 years to become reality.
On May 14, 1948.
David Ben-Gurion, the head of the Jewish Agency.
Proclaimed the establishment of the State of Israel.
President Harry S. Truman recognized the new nation the same day.
This action fulfilled this prophecy.
We can also see this prophecy fulfilled by the Six Day War on June 5, 1967 - June 10, 1967.
The Israeli Army (IDF - Israeli Defense Force)
Defeated
Egypt.
Jordan.
Syria.
Iraq (minor involvement)
Lebanon (air raid on June 5th)
Taking control of new territory.
The Gaza Strip.
Sinai Peninsula.
The West Bank.
East Jerusalem.
The Golan Heights.
10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army.