What is “Popular�?Eschatology?

What is the hot view of Eschatology today?

We have the Dispensational views, the Reformed view, the other variations of Protestant views, and then there is the Catholic and so many subsets of each of these theologies. It should be clear, because God’s Word is clear when we take the time to see eschatological passages in their context, language, and genre structure. We need to see what is actually there, not what we want to be there. Like any other reading pursuit, you do not use a textbook for poetry or poetry for a lecture in biology or give a lecture at a wedding or a lullaby at a deposition in a court of law. That transpires in how you read a text: a novel versus a technical paper or directions. A textbook is read and examined and notes taken whereas a novel is enjoyed and even skimmed. Language is predicted by its usage, meaning of context, and situation to name a few. This is true for any work of literature, including the Bible as it is a collection of literature, but also God’s Word. If we get this point we can get Eschatology, as the Church has for the most part. But in the last one hundred and fifty years and mainly in the last few decades, many new views of Eschatology have come about. Mainly from the absence of knowing and being willing to learn about the Bible, many factions and infighting and fringe groups have developed. All because people claiming to know Christ as Lord no longer are effectively reading His Word the Bible; rather, they read into the Bible instead of reading from the Bible. They place into the Bible what they want it to say instead of taking out of the Bible what God actually says. So people come to His most precious Word and seek what they want instead of what He has for us. These are most of the popular views; they can be fun and make for invigorating discussions. By the way, what is actually there is much more effectual and wondrous than any of our wild popular theories. Thus, when most Christians today get into the subjects of Biblical prophecy, eschatology, end times, and the Second Coming of Jesus, they get it wrong and in so doing make up theories and claim them as dogmatic fact, saying there will be a Rapture, what Israel’s role must be, the rise of an specific Antichrist and what he must do, a Seven year Tribulation, all that “must happen�?for or before a Millennial reign and/or Christ Second Coming, and other various sub topics. And their only debate is not their biblical right for these things to exist, but what order, sequence, and what I heard Francis Schaeffer say to me on this, the particulars of nonsense.

Thus, what we have is a multitude of diverse opinions about what Biblical Eschatology is and how it relates to end times and how it affects the Church and Christ’s Second Coming.

What is your view of “Eschatology�?or “End Times?�?/P>

How sure are you that your view is correct?

It all comes down to this point: do you read into the text what you want it to say? Or do you read from the text what God’s Word has to say?

Most Christians, pastors included, will say they never read into the text of Scripture. So, you have to go before God in sincerity and honesty and seek Him, not your or someone else’s ideas.

How can we do this? We have to surrender pride and presumptions to really catch what caught up really means! We have to really read, not assume, or we will get it wrong and thus lead our churches down the wrong path, making minors the majors and missing the point of our call and duty as a local church.

posted by Richard @ 1:27 PM   2 comments 

2 Comments:
At 4:17 PM,  Dan Smithwick said...
I like the fact that you are addressing this all-important topic. But perhaps you should take it a step further and 'instruct' on the correct view of eschatology.

My guess is that every group would agree with your premise that we have to let "scripture say what it says, not what we wish it to say," but each group would say that that is what they are doing. I sure do. So, I would be quite pleased to see your 'proper' view of this matter.

Blessings

Dan from MN

 
At 4:37 PM,  Anonymous said...
See it here:

http://www.intothyword.org/pages.asp?pageid=56857

Be blessed!