Then The End Will Come
5 Truths That Will Shape Your Eschatology
As I’m sure you’re aware, eschatology (the doctrine of the end times) is one of those doctrines where godly people disagree. Many of these people have spent years studying the Scripture and searching out the best possible interpretation. They have attended schools of academia. They have studied the original languages. They have read from the brightest minds in history. And yet, these men whom we respect, have been unable to find common ground on this subject.
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So why study eschatology? Why waste our time looking at a doctrine at which the experts can’t agree? Well, the simple answer is found in 2 Peter 1:3. Peter writes, “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence.” In this verse Peter says that we have access to everything we need to live the Christian life the way that God expects. it happens when we access “divine power” – the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit who strengthens us for the Christian walk. And it happens as we pursue the “knowledge of God” that is found in the Bible – the knowledge of God from Genesis to Revelation.
So why study Eschatology? We study it because it’s in the Bible. We study it because we believe it will lead to greater knowledge of God. We study it because we know that in some way it will help us to live the life that God commanded us to live. And we study it because we want to grow in our worship of God.
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Our approach will be a little different from other studies we have done. Rather than looking at the individual pieces of this puzzle and trying to arrange them into a cohesive picture, we’re going to zoom out to the broader themes of Scripture that will help us understand the doctrine as a whole. Rather than trying to create a detailed timeline of events that lead to a final conclusion, our study will seek to provide a roadmap that so we can sort out the details for ourselves. We’re going to focus on the broader truths upon which most theologians agree, and then allow those truths to shape our personal perspective of this doctrine.
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We’ll take those truths one at a time, and then perhaps take a closer look at how these truths relate to the COVENANTS (i.e. promises) God made to his people throughout the Old Testament. Here’s a list of the 5 truths that we’ll cover in the next several weeks.
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God’s word is clear (perspicuity) and is meant to be interpreted literally.
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Israel and the church are one in Christ, yet distinct.
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God will fulfill his unconditional covenants to Israel.
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The “day of the Lord” is a time of physical judgment of the wicked on the earth.
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Those who are “in Christ” through faith will not experience God’s wrath because Christ already endured it on the cross.