Featured Bits & Pieces Eschatology.

The understanding of Eschatology won't get you to Heaven and if you don't, it won't keep you out either!... Brother Glen

John 5:39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.

 

Still yet to come in the future!

 

We need to make a clear distinction between interpretation and understanding.

 

My distinction is that
understanding requires prophecy to be considered in historical context, with consideration of related prophecy, with particular fulfilment in the life and ministry of Jesus and the Apostles.

Interpretation is often without consideration of context, and without consideration of fulfilment in Bible times.

 

I have concluded that understanding eschatology is a calling. Just like any other gifting or calling.

Those that pursue it, that were not called to it, are pathetic at it.

 

These Scriptures build up to the glorious truth of the final state - "the new heaven & new earth, the home of righteousness." We need to see the whole. not build on isolated Scriptures. Supremely we need to understand prophecy in its spiritual dimension, not a carnal continuation of the present physical state.

Acts 1:11 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.​

That prophecy looks simple - does it mean that one day Jesus will descend through the clouds, with the same human appearance, stand on the earth and resume his earthly ministry? Or to "restore the kingdom to Israel" by sitting on David's throne in Jerusalem?

Heb. 9:28 Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.​

That needs a lot of understanding - how did his sacrifice take away sins? How will his second coming bring salvation?

Titus 2:13 while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ ....​

A blessed hope indeed, but - will we only see "the glory of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ" and not the human form as suggested by Acts 1:11?

 

1 John 3:1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.

3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

Brother Glen

 

Belief of ( and understanding of ) the Scriptures shows that one has the Holy Spirit and is in fact, born again...
which is a benefit of God's saving someone for Himself and from His coming wrath.

As His people, we come to understand and believe every word of God, and we live by them:
" But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." ( Matthew 4:4 ).

As His people, we have the Spirit by which we can know the truth of all things that the Lord speaks about:
" Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come." ( John 16:13 ). <------ Spoken to the 11, but applies to all believers... Jew and Gentile alike.

See also Luke 4:4, 2 Corinthians 2:6-16 and 1 John 2:20-27.

There are no "bare essentials", "fundamentals of the faith" or "lowest common denominator doctrines" that, if one believes "x number of truths about the Bible" , they are guaranteed a place at God's table.
Rather, all who are truly saved are the recipients of the Spirit, by which they can then come to ( eventually ) understand all of God's word the more that they study it.
This is promised to us in places like 1 Peter 2:2 and 2 Timothy 2:15...we grow and we come to rightly divide the truth.

However, we know that people like the thief on the cross, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were not shown many details that were later given to His apostles to teach to the churches, and those men ( and many more, the 7,000 that the Lord told Elijah about in his day comes to mind, 1 Kings 19:18, Romans 11:4 ) were saved.

Rahab was saved, as was Deborah and many others, Sarah and Miriam included.

We know that Daniel the prophet was shown things that he was not allowed to write down ( Daniel 12:8-13 ), as the Lord did not reveal those things further until He showed Peter, Paul and John, for example.



But we are also living in the light of a completed Bible that now consists of everything that the Lord wants His children to know ( Romans 15:4 );
We can and should avail ourselves of what He has given to each and every one of us,
to reach into every corner of the Scriptures and learn about all of it.

 

That said, there is only one correct understanding of any given subject in His word,
and everyone who has the Spirit of God will come to that understanding of it for themselves.

Why?
Because they have the Spirit of God, and His Spirit leads people to the truth, not away from it.

Those who do not have the Spirit of God cannot and will not ever come to the correct understanding of the Scriptures,
because they have not been equipped to do so by God Himself...
They will be ever-learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth ( 2 Timothy 3:7 );
They will speak evil of the things that they do not understand ( 2 Peter 2:12 ), and they will stumble at the word, whereunto they were appointed ( 1 Peter 2:8 );

That includes not only what is known as "soteriology", but what some call, "eschatology" as well.

So, study His words deeply, my friends...
He has much to show us.

Sobering things and joyful things;
Terrible things and wondrous things...
Things that will lead to us glorifying His name and taking comfort in the fact that He loves us, and gave His Son for us.


May God bless each and every one of you with many good and perfect gifts,
knowing that they all come down from the Father of lights ( James 1:17 ).