Posts tagged ‘“End TImes”’

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November 12, 2023

Time, History and Eternity

The above graphic depicts an understanding of the phrases “this age” and “the age to come”, in their biblical/historical context. This understanding underlies the proper perception of our present situation, and affects our eschatological outlook. Satan is NOT “the god of this age” that we are in now. He was “the god of this age” when Paul wrote 2 Cor. 4:4; Gal. 1:4; Rom. 16:20, etc. Jesus crushed Satan’s head and bound him in the first century, cf. Matt. 12:29; Luke 10:18; Rev. 20:2; etc. Not to say that the evil one is not still active other than in wholesale deception of the nations the way he was before, but the Lord Jesus Christ is reigning now! cf. Ps. 2; Ps. 110; Dan. 7:13-14; 1Cor. 15:25; etc.

An “age” is a period of time. There is no other age that will follow the present age of Christ’s mediatorial reign (what the New Testament, written prior to the termination of the Old Covenant age with the destruction of the temple, refers to as “the age to come”). We are now in the final age of time and history, as the ascended Lord Jesus Christ reigns in majesty on high at the right hand of the Father. 

Premillennialists claim that there will be another age after Christ’s Second Coming, when He will reign upon the earth for 1,000 years prior to the final judgment, with a variety of flavors espousing a rebuilt temple, multiple mass physical resurrections, etc., etc. which is all patently unbiblical. An older version of postmillennialism taught that there will be a separate “golden age” in time and history after the present age and before the Second Coming; proponents of that view may have acquiesced to the lack of scriptural warrant for it.

Against “the age to come” as eternity

Ephesians 1:
17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, 18 the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power 20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age (aion) but also in that which is to come.* 22 And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. (NKJV)

*Note: the age “which is to come” in Ephesians 1 can hardly refer to eternity without conflicting with 1 Corinthians 15:

22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. 23 But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterwards those who are Christ’s at His coming. 24 Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. 25 For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. 26 The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. 27 For “He has put all things under His feet.” But when He says “all things are put under Him,” it is evident that He who put all things under Him is excepted.
*28Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.

The Ephesians passage presents the ages of time/history; the passage in 1 Corinthians presents the end: eternity. Jesus’ ascension took place in what were the last days of “this age” for the writers of the New Testament. In this final age now present (the “age to come” for the N.T. writers), Jesus is still reigning from on High and by His Spirit indwelling His people, living stones in a living temple, His body. He also rules over the nations with a rod of iron. This being the situation decreed for “not only in this age but also in that which is to come”, neither age can refer to the hereafter, as by contrast, in eternity, we shall eat and drink with Jesus Himself (cf. Matthew 26:29)! Our Forerunner will no longer be “far above”, having put an end to all rule and all authority and power; and we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is (1 John 3:2)! The position of Christ the head and his body/bride the church will, at the end (in the eternity of final glory), be manifestly changed from that of the here and now, the age of the church militant (referred to as “the age to come” in Ephesians 1).

Paul wrote in the last days of the old covenant age when the temple was still standing. The “age to come”, which was then at hand, is fully here now: the gospel age, the “millennium” of the mediatorial reign of King Jesus.

In those same last days of the old covenant age when the temple was still standing, shortly before He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried; rose again from the dead; and ascended into heaven, Jesus said to the high priest: “I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.” (Matt. 26:64) The hereafter our Lord foretold is the termination of the old covenant economy with the destruction of the temple in AD 70, the final end of that age, the outworking of AD 30 when Christ made the once-for-all sacrifice of Himself; which was also foretold by the angel Gabriel to the prophet Daniel:

“And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; and the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, and till the end of the war desolations are determined. Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, Even until the consummation*, which is determined, Is poured out on the desolate.” (Daniel 9:26-27)

*i.e. the consummation of the ages, the transition from the Jewish to the Christian: the mediatorial kingdom of the gospel age, the final age before the end, the millennial reign of the risen, ascended Lord Jesus Christ as written of in Ephesians 1.


[click image to enlarge]

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April 23, 2023

Fallacious Notions – Temporal Displacement

What if the same controligarchs behind the gaslighting of the general populace have intentionally corrupted the Church’s understanding of the word of truth — the Holy Scriptures? Their objective being the establishment and popularization of distorted theology towards the advancement of their globalist agenda and neutering the church militant. It was largely achieved via the publication of a Bible with explanatory notes presenting delusory interpretations of the text:

“…Cyrus Scofield, a forger, felon and trained lawyer, had been hired by the Rothschilds to write this dispensational reinterpretation of biblical events and Christian doctrine.” …

”The writing and promotion of “Scofield’s Reference Bible” was a massive effort to subvert true Christianity to serve Zionist/NWO interests…

“Throughout the 20th Century and with incredible support from the Rothchild controlled Oxford Press, various editions of Scofield’s Bible would actually create a new religion, Christian Zionism (Judeo-Christianity), altering words and meanings through deceptive footnotes.”

– Merlin L. Miller1

First published in 1909 and still available today, the Scofield Notes have systematized a fanciful, invalid exposition of Scripture, serving the agenda of wicked globalists the likes of which are now being exposed more and more as the great democide of the 2020s unfolds.

One minister who broke with Scofieldism described it as a “subtle, intriguing heresy”.2

Thankfully, the unscriptural teaching of a literal, earthly Jewish kingdom, with all the associated temporal deceptions (e.g. inserting a “gap” of time in to the seventy weeks prophecy of Daniel 9:24-27) has come to be largely rejected. Even so, erroneous understandings of Bible prophecy, exacerbated by dispensational seminary teachings and media sensationalism, remain ingrained in the church at large, to the detriment of the gospel’s advancement.

Not rightly dividing the Scriptures in their historical context has led to a general “temporal displacement” in the understanding of eschatology, typically manifested by removing passages from their native context, i.e. the time period when they were written, and interpreting them as if they are written contemporaneously to the generation presently living.

Thus, in the minds of many, near-at-hand prophecies which were fulfilled accordingly in that 1st century generation, have remained unfulfilled and somehow continually imminent for almost 2 millennia now.

“The End is Near”

 “The end of all things” which was at hand when the apostle Peter wrote of it (1 Peter 4:7) refers, in its proper context, to the passing away of the old covenant as per Hebrews 8:13: In that He says, “A new covenant,”  He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away. The civil state of the Jews, their sacrifices, temple, city and nation would soon be gone. Of course, physical death, which is indeed the end of all things in this world, is always near at hand to any particular person, but the literal end of the physical world was clearly not near at hand nor in view in this passage.

Neither can the apocalyptic language of the book of Revelation prophesying the days of vengeance on the Harlot (apostate Judaism) and the Beast (Rome) be rightfully construed as foretelling an end of the cosmos at the end of time, since the events were foretold shortly before they were to take place (Revelation 1:1; 22:6). Just like the apocalyptic imagery of judgment in 2 Peter 3:10-13, the prophesied events were near-at-hand then.

Furthermore, the end of time is not near now. In this gospel age, the present millennial reign of our ascended Lord will continue until He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet (1 Corinthians 15:24-25). We rightfully expect that the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea (Isaiah 11:9; Habakkuk 2:14) before the end.

“Heaven and Earth will literally pass away”

The Bible teaches that, at the end of this church age, the presently bound Satan will be released for a short time (Rev. 20:3) to deceive the nations again and mount a rebellious army which is crushed as, in the apocalyptic language of the vision, “fire from heaven came down and consumed them” (Revelation 20:9). This does not mean that the creation itself will be destroyed by being burned up! The creation itself is being redeemed from the curse, not headed for dissolution, as it is written:

For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. (Romans 8:20-21)

The crafty deception that the earth will be destroyed at the end of time is perhaps the most critical of all fallacious eschatological notions, and is at the root of many others.

Jesus’ statement that “Heaven and earth will pass away…” (Matthew 24:35) cannot be interpreted to refer to the physical cosmos without violating the analogy of faith, i.e. there can be no essential contradictions in the Scriptures. To wit:

The literal earth is determined to not pass away. In Psalm 104:5 David said that God “laid the foundation of the earth, that it shall not be removed forever.” And in Ecclesiastes 1:4 Solomon said, “One generation passes away, and another generation comes: but the earth abides forever.”

“And He built His sanctuary like high palaces, like the earth which He has established forever.” (Psalm 78:69).

“Praise Him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens… “He has also established them for ever and ever: He has made a decree which shall not pass” (Psalm 148:4,6).

God promised after the flood that He would never again “strike down every living creature as I have done.” (Genesis 8:21). This, it is thought, does not rule out God’s destruction of the entire world by fire someday, and that 2 Peter 3:10 teaches this. But no, with the phrase “as I have done” the LORD attests to His power and majesty in His manner of declaration, not to give Himself a “loophole” to smite everything living again but in a different manner, which might be a laughable consideration if not so irreverently preposterous.

It would be a blatant contradiction if God was to burn up the elements, meaning atoms & molecules according to the literalistic misinterpretation of the prophetic language of 2 Peter 3:10.3  Besides, the apocalyptic destruction Peter wrote of was near at hand when he wrote in the last days of the old covenant.

Thus in light of the full counsel of Scripture, our Lord’s statement that “heaven and earth will pass away” cannot be interpreted literally in the context of Matthew 24:35. Rather, especially in consideration of the prophetic idiom being used, the reference is to the old covenant and its temple system (the house left desolate) just as it is in 2 Peter 3:10.

Jesus had also said “…assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.” (Matthew 5:18). The ceremonial ordinances were finally abrogated when the temple was destroyed, the Lamb of God having fulfilled all of the sacrificial typology.

Conclusively, the reference to the “passing away of heaven and earth” must be considered in light of the establishment of that same “heaven and earth” in Isaiah 51: 15-16:

”I am the LORD your God, Who divided the sea whose waves roared — The LORD of hosts is His name. And I have put My words in your mouth; I have covered you with the shadow of My hand, That I may plant the heavens, lay the foundations of the earth, and say to Zion, ‘You are My people.’”

The LORD was not depicting the original physical creation 3,000 years previously, but rather the establishment of the old (Mosaic) covenant upon bringing His people out of Egypt. (cf. Jeremiah 31:32).

“The Great Tribulation is Yet to Come”

Great tribulation may indeed be expected for present and future generations, especially as God’s people stand for the truth of God’s word in a culture of decadence and tyranny. Even so, Jesus’ prophecy that then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be (Matthew 24:21) was declared in no uncertain terms to take place before the generation then living would pass away.

The book of Revelation, which apocalyptically presents the undiluted wrath of God poured out on that wicked generation, was written by the apostle John as a fellow partaker in that tribulation with the original hearers of the letter (Rev. 1:9). From our historical perspective, the events which happened then manifestly align with the things signified to John in the Apocalypse shortly before they were to take place as per the “temporal bookends” of Rev. 1:1 and Rev. 22:6.

The works of Jewish historian Josephus document the events of the great tribulation which took place in the time leading up to and including the destruction and desolation of the old covenant temple in 70 AD.

For a concise, highly readable record of those now historical events see George Halford’s The Destruction of Jerusalem. Judgment fell heavily upon that generation in those “days of vengeance” in vindication of the Lord Jesus Christ.

“No one knows the day or hour”

When predicting His coming in judgment (via the Roman armies) on apostate Judaism, the Lord stated, “But of that day and hour no one knows…” (Matthew 24:36). This He declared not in reference to His Second Coming at the end of time, rather, in context, the reference is to the day and hour of His near coming in judgment of which He was prophesying.

No one knew exactly when the Temple would be utterly destroyed and the Jewish age of sacrifice finished. But they were given warning signs:  when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near (Luke 21:20) and more importantly, the general time by when it would take place: within that generation!

While it is true that the day and hour of the Second Coming of Christ (cf. Hebrews 9:26-28) remains unknown to mankind, the temporal markers in the text of the Olivet discourse in Matthew 24 (and parallels) do not authorize direct application of the saying to that great, final, end-of-time event which Christians ought to hopefully expect in accordance with God’s timetable, when all His enemies have been put under His feet, which may not happen within the lifetimes of anyone reading this now.

Not to dare prognosticate on this matter, but it looks like a long term proposition, as God gathers in the multitudes of His elect. Let us hasten the day by advancing the gospel that it may flourish in ours and future generations towards the final consummation of all things.

“Satan is the god of this age”

An “age” is a period of time. There is no other age that will follow the present age of Christ’s mediatorial reign (what the New Testament, written prior to the termination of the Old Covenant age with the fall of Jerusalem4, refers to as “the age to come”). We are now in the final age of time and history, as the ascended Lord Jesus Christ reigns in majesty on high at the right hand of the Father.

Satan is NOT “the god of this age” that we are in now. Satan was the god of an age that was passing away. He was “the god of this age” when the apostle Paul wrote 2 Cor. 4:4; Gal. 1:4; Rom. 16:20, etc. Jesus crushed Satan’s head and bound him in the first century (cf. Matt. 12:29; Luke 10:18; Rev. 20:2; etc.).

Not to say that the evil one is not still active other than in wholesale deception of the nations the way he was before, but the Lord Jesus Christ is reigning now and in the process of putting all His enemies under His feet (cf. Ps. 2; Ps. 110; Dan. 7:13-14; 1Cor. 15:25; etc.) and we are instrumental in the process.

Let us not let temporal displacement of the texts of Scripture be a rationale to expect defeat in time and history in the battle against evil, as we fight for and with the Way, the Truth and the Life.

For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. (1 John 5:4)

~

1 Christian Zionism – Scofield Rothchild Puppet

2 Why I Left Scofieldism

3 Passing Away… – A Study of 2 Peter 3

4 Before Jerusalem Fell

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April 9, 2023

Eschatology Between the Extremes

golden-city

Background

Bible students (as all reformed Christians are) must be careful to distinguish among New Testament prophetic references to ”coming” (Greek: parousia) –– whether applicable to the end of the age in which they were written, or applicable to the end of the world at the end of time.1 That is, whether the correct interpretation of each prophecy is in the past or in the future, with respect to us in the present. Prophecies, by definition, of course apply to what was then the future at the time they were prophesied; the question is: whether they were fulfilled in our past (already), or are still in our future (not yet).

The destruction of the city of Jerusalem and the Jewish temple in 70 AD was clearly the fulfillment of the Lord’s prophecy rendered in the Olivet discourse of Matthew 24 (and parallels) during the time of His humiliation. The desolation of the temple capped off the end of the old covenant age. Those were “…the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled” (Luke 21:22) 2.

The destruction of the city of Jerusalem and the Jewish temple in 70 AD was clearly the fulfillment of the Lord’s prophecy rendered in the Olivet discourse of Matthew 24 during the time of His humiliation. The desolation of the temple capped off the end of the old covenant age. Those were “…the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled” (Luke 21:22) 2.

The coming of our Lord Jesus Christ encompassed His incarnation, ministry, crucifixion, resurrection, ascension to His millennial reign, and judgment of apostate Israel including those who called so vehemently for His crucifixion (Luke 23:21). The destruction of Jerusalem and the temple was the sign of His exaltation; the vindication of His identity as Christ, just as He had foretold before being condemned to death (Matthew 26:64; Mark 14:62).

There can hardly be any doubt that the book of Revelation was written prior to 70 AD, as from our historical perspective, the events which happened then manifestly align with the things signified to John in the Apocalypse shortly before they were to take place (Revelation 1:1; 22:6). The questionable “evidence” of a quote attributed to church father Irenaeus simply does not sustain a later date of its writing, which has been propounded as the majority report.3

Even so, the 1st coming of Christ and His finished work on the Cross in 30 AD is the pivotal focus of all of Scripture. Our glorified Lord’s reign has continued since His Ascension, well beyond 70 AD to the present day, unless the “millennium”4 (the time of Messianic reign) was only 40 years.

The Lamb of God rose from the dead 3 days after His crucifixion; 40 days after that the Son of Man ascended (“…came up to the Ancient of Days…” per Daniel 7:13 [NASB]) and has been reigning ever since.

This selfsame divine Person (“…and His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” –Isaiah 9:6), the King of kings and Lord of lords, Jesus Christ, is reigning now! He will continue to reign in heaven and by His Spirit in His people until …the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For He must reign until He has put all enemies under His feet (1 Corinthians 15:24-25).

The 2nd coming of the Lord which will happen then (the end of time) is still in our future (cf. Hebrews 9:28).

The invisible “coming” of the Son of Man in wrathful judgment upon that wicked generation in 70 AD is certainly a frequent prophetic reference in Scripture as an outworking of the signal events of 30 AD; nevertheless “…it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” -1 John 3:2. A few verses earlier John exhorted believers to abide in the Lord with perseverance, so as not to be ashamed before Him at His coming (1 John 2:28). This is a clear reference to the final judgment of each individual after death, when everyone must give account personally (cf. Hebrews 9:27; Romans 14:10-12).

The Extremes

Rather than studying to arrive at an interpretive understanding of Bible passages according to context in light of the full counsel of Scripture, one extreme school of thought automatically relegates all “coming” passages to a preterist (fulfilled in our past) interpretation. At the other extreme, another school of thought presupposes “coming” passages to have a futurist (still in our future) interpretation. The all-preterist system can be called pantelism5; the hyper-futurist hermeneutic is adhered to in the system commonly known as dispensationalism.

Dispensationalism, considered to be “losing steam” more and more in recent decades, was propagated with the publication of the Scofield Reference Bible at the beginning of the 20th century. It refuses to accept at face value the text of Matthew 24:34: “Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.” The events including the “great tribulation” (Matthew 24:21) and the coming of the Son of Man in judgment to destroy the temple (Matthew 24:30), which happened leading up to and in AD 70, are among “all these things” spoken of by our Lord in the text. Furthermore, dispensational futurism does not allow for the many time texts such as “soon”, “at hand”, “near”, “coming quickly”, etc., employed throughout the New Testament, to apply according to the standard usage of those terms. Rather, almost 2,000 years (so far) are arbitrarily added to the interpretations in order to keep the occurrence of the predicted events in our near future. This provides for a continuingly impending end times perspective that may be sensational, but it just doesn’t make good sense. Besides, any interpretation that makes the text to have been meaningless or misinforming to the original audience must be rejected.

Pantelism may be seen as an overreaction to dispensationalism. Pantelism presupposes that all prophetic passages must have a preterist interpretation, inclusive of references to the resurrection of the body and the final judgment. With pantelism, the end of the old covenant age was the consummation of all things, and we are in the eternal state now. According to this thinking, the Lord’s still future descent from heaven (when the dead rise and the living are caught up together with them in the clouds) written of in 1 Thessalonians 4:16, which corresponds to His Ascension depicted in Acts 1:11, somehow already happened and was not a physical event. There is a variety of explanatory particulars amongst the system’s adherents as to how that is reconciled with the Lord’s clearly physical Ascension, when the angels testified that He will come “in just the same way” (Greek hos tropos) as he was seen taken up.

Even recognizing the eschatology of the New Testament as predominantly preterist, elevating the events of 70 AD over and above the events of 30 AD in their redemptive-historical significance is problematical to say the least. Denial of the future, bodily 2nd coming of the Lord Jesus Christ to physically resurrect the dead and eternally judge all who ever lived puts pantelism outside the bounds of Christian orthodoxy.

While the outright erroneousness of both of these extremes may be apparent to seasoned students of Scripture, many of today’s Christians have grown up under dispensationalist teaching, which has been popularized in the modern culture by best-selling books and movies such as the “Left Behind” series. Others, who have become disenchanted with dispensationalism, may have been swayed by pantelism as a seemingly logical alternative; but while pantelism eviscerates the interpretive errors of dispensationalism, the arbitrary misconceptions inherent in pantelism are just as bad to the other extreme, and even worse.

“Consistent”

The interpretation of any particular passage of Scripture is informed by the context, over and apart from the understanding gleaned from the usage of similarly framed wording in a different context. To presume otherwise leads unswervingly to a fundamental misunderstanding of the Bible, which is certainly not so simplistic as to apply the same meaning for a word or phrase every time it is used. The same word(s) or phrase(s) may have differing meaning, usage and interpretation in different instances (this especially calls for discernment interpreting the connotation of the word “coming”), depending upon the context . This simple hermeneutical principle may seem to be very basic and easy to understand, yet the failure to grasp it, or to override it with a presupposition of forced “consistency” has become a stumbling block to deriving sound, balanced counsel from God’s word, which unavoidably leads to one erroneous extreme or another.

As noted above, in the Olivet discourse of Matthew 24, the Lord foretold in verse 34 that “all these things” would take place before the passing away of the generation then living. So contextually “all these things” must apply to those stated in the preceding verses of that discourse.

In the passage in Matthew 16 beginning with verse 24 where the Lord’s “take up your cross and follow Me” teaching is recorded, Jesus encourages His disciples to self-denial through sufferings, by comparing worldly afflictions with eternal life (cf. Romans 8:18), and associating material gain with loss of immortal soul. In that context comes verse 27:

“For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works”.

This verse sets forth the weighty consideration of the millennial reign of the Lord Jesus Christ in heaven commencing with His coming up to the Ancient of Days (cf. Daniel 7:13, NASB) to sit in judgment over everyone and everything through to the final consummation of the kingdom when all His enemies are under His feet… see this.

Then follows verse 28:

“Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.”

In this verse Jesus assures them that His coming into His kingdom is about to be manifest, before some of them die, by His ascension to heaven, the pouring out the the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the establishment of the church, the preaching of the gospel, and the events leading up to and including the great tribulation of Jerusalem with the utter destruction of the old covenant temple marking the end of the age.

The Lord was teaching His disciples that the new covenant age was at hand, to come within that generation, finally with the apocalyptic judgment upon apostate Israel as a sign of the ascended Son of Man in heaven per Matthew 24:30:

“…and then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth [land] mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” (ASV).

The process of the Lord ruling in the midst of His enemies being put under His feet (cf. Psalm 110:2; 1 Cor. 15:25) was at hand – the inauguration of the Messianic kingdom culminating with the complete destruction of the temple, ending the old covenant sacrificial system.

While the prophesied events heralding the inauguration of the new covenant were near at hand then, they are no longer on the horizon now. Even so, “the end” for everyone alive remains imminent to this day with respect to physical death (cf. Hebrews 9:27, Romans 6:23 and Luke 12:16-20), as the Lord continues to judge the nations and reward each individual according to his works, until the end of time when the last enemy that will be destroyed is death (1 Cor. 15:26).

Notes

1 What was the “age to come” for the New Testament writers is the age we are living in now, the gospel age, the new covenant age which began as the old covenant age passed away. The New Testament was written in the “last days” of the old covenant. We won’t be in the eternal state until the end of the present age which will be the end of time & history.

2 The Lord here references Old Testament prophecies of the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, most notably Daniel 9:26 .

3 For a thorough, scholarly exposition in support of a pre-70AD date for the composition of the book of Revelation see Kenneth L. Gentry’s Before Jerusalem Fell.

4 The millennium is a reference to “a thousand years”, mentioned in Revelation 20 as the period of Christ’s interadvental reign. Postmillennialism (that the Lord’s 2nd Coming must be after His Messianic reign) is assumed here. Amillennialism is technically postmillennialism as far as timing; differing in the expected nature of the millennium. Premillennialism (that the Lord’s 2nd Coming must be before the millennium to set up His reign on earth) is the view routinely adopted by dispensationalists.

5 The term pantelism (from the Greek words for “all” and “fulfilled”) was coined by C. Jonathan Seraiah, who has written an excellent refutation of the viewpoint (see The End of All Things: A Defense of the Future). The label pantelism (instead of hyper- or consistent preterism) is a neutral term that does not use the pejorative “hyper” prefix nor define non-pantelist preterism as somehow “inconsistent”. Here is an excerpt from an editorial intro for Pastor Seraiah’s highly recommended book: The easiest way to deal with false doctrine is to affirm its absolute opposite. Unfortunately, this opposite affirmation is often no less erroneous than the false doctrine against which it reacts-sometimes, it is worse. Most conservative Christians in the twentieth century have been obsessed with “the last days.” An absolute opposite answer has recently emerged in the form of what C. Jonathin Seraiah terms “pantelism,” the view that all final events had taken place by the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D.70. With one fell swoop, this viewpoint eviscerates dispensationalism. Unfortunately, it also undermines orthodox Christianity.

~

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May 27, 2022

Chronology, Creation and Compromise (includes a Movie Review)

The year is 1890 and Bible professor Russell Carlisle (D. David Morin) has written a new manuscript entitled “The Changing Times.” His book is about to receive a unanimous endorsement from the board members of the Grace Bible Seminary until his colleague Dr. Norris Anderson (Gavin Macleod) raises an objection. Dr. Anderson believes that Carlisle’s writing could greatly affect future generations. Using a secret time machine, Anderson sends Carlisle over 100 years into the future, offering him a glimpse of where his beliefs will lead.

As is obvious from the above plot description appearing on the back of the DVD case, the movie Time Changer (a Rich Christiano film) is a work of fiction. Absent of high-budget special effects, and with a Christian theme, it has not reached anywhere near popular blockbuster status. Nevertheless, the film makes the enduring case for steadfast adherence to the authority of the Word of God. Carlisle’s manuscript makes a plea for morality and righteousness but begs the question, “By what standard?”. Anderson objects to the teaching of the law apart from the law-Giver, of preaching morality apart from the authority of the Word of God.

After finally submitting to Anderson’s insistence, Carlisle travels to the future where he sees the disastrous results of mankind’s rejection of the infallible standard of righteousness, the Lord Jesus Christ. Apart from Him no one is righteous, no – not one. In one scene, Carlisle tells a hot dog snatching girl that it is not right to steal, and the girl responds “Says who?”.

In another scene in the movie, Carlisle, in the future (the year 2000), perceived that he was in the “end times” and commented that therefore Jesus must be coming shortly to “set up His kingdom on earth”. This of course is indicative of a premillennial view of eschatology (end times). To anyone reading this blog who is at all familiar with eschatology, it must be apparent by now that here we embrace a postmillennial view, which is that the bodily return of the Lord Jesus (“the second coming”) will take place after His kingdom has been well established here on earth during this present age. While premillennialism does not detract from the excellent message of the film, the eschatological viewpoint of Christ returning a “millennium” before the final judgment, with the resurrection of believers when He comes, and then another resurrection of unbelievers at the end of His earthly reign is a problematical interpretation of Scripture mainly because it is out of accord with biblical chronology.

A greatly overlooked passage of Scripture which presents us a timetable of end time events is 1 Corinthians 15:25-26: For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. The context is Christ’s reign in heaven, which is where He sits at the right hand of Majesty on High since His ascension. Death is destroyed (general resurrection) at the end – at the last day – in a moment, the twinkling of an eye (1 Corinthians 15:52), not a prolonged drama for 1,000 years. So all of the enemies of the Lord Jesus Christ and His church are being put under His feet, and then comes the end, when death is destroyed. “The logic of Paul is inescapable” as per respected theologian B.B. Warfield.

Other key texts of Scripture teach one particular day of resurrection/judgment for all which takes place when Jesus comes back (cf Acts 17:31; Acts 24:15 ). There will be a day of resurrection and judgment for ALL men – when Jesus comes. Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth — those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation (John 5:28-29). Notwithstanding that it may be the most widely held eschatological perspective in the church today, it can reasonably be said that the premillennial view of the book of Revelation is chronologically untenable based on unavoidable presuppositions derived from the full counsel of Scripture.

There is much more that can be said about end times chronology and the difficulties presented by the book of Revelation which is apocalyptic literature rendered in signs & symbols (the “first resurrection” of Revelation 20 is symbolic of spiritual regeneration!), but let us turn our chronometers from the end back to the beginning — to the book of Genesis and the creation account. Here we have clear-cut historical narrative, presenting the account of the magnificent work of almighty God creating all things ex nihilo (out of nothing) in six literal (24-hour) days. This is wonderful truth for the believer. Indeed the pattern for the days and weeks of our lives were thereby established. Our God is an awesome God! Just as we believe steadfastly in the virginal birth and bodily resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, we hold to a “young earth” as plainly depicted in the earliest history recorded in Genesis 1-11. We believe God’s word is inerrant and infallible, and we stand by its irrefutable truth as interpreted from the original language text in accordance with well established and scholarly accepted grammatical-historical methodology.1

The compromise comes in by what may be called the 3 Ws. That is, when a professing believer is either weak, wanting or wicked. The attack on God’s word is from the outside, in the form of the secular/humanist religion of evolution. Under the flag of so-called “science”, millions of years is presented for injection into the Bible’s chronology of creation. The weak accept it to avoid ridicule, or to get along. They fear men more than they fear God. The biblical worldview of others is compromised as they are wanting for a proper defense of the faith, and are overwhelmed by not having an answer to ungodly dogma presented as accepted fact. The wicked trample on the blood of Jesus, accepting the concept of death and sin before the fall, which overturns the gospel, promoting that lie to lead others astray. Make no mistake about it beloved, this is a foundational issue. Abortion, homosexuality, racism, adultery, broken families, attacks on the institution of marriage, and all such perversities are the symptoms of the undermining of the authority of God’s word.

So where do we go from here? Well first of all, if you have swallowed the wicked lie of evolution in any way, shape or form then I urge you to vomit it up and spit it out. Hold fast to your faith, and don’t be afraid to speak up. What position does your local church take on the inerrancy of God’s word? Has its leadership compromised on the creation account of the Bible? Take heart, eyes are being opened, minds are being renewed. God is giving zeal for His Truth to His people, and help is available! Go to the AnswersInGenesis website where you can arm yourself with reliable information and resources. Another excellent website is the Institute for Creation Research. Get yourself a copy of The Beginning of the World – A Scientific Study of Genesis 1-11 by Dr. Henry Morris (remember Kindle Edition books are less expensive and readable on any PC or MAC with the free reading app). Stay tuned for more…

Let us pray that things don’t have to get much worse before the church of the Lord Jesus Christ arises to insist that the Bible is authoritative for all of life, from beginning to end.

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1 See Reformed Theology and Six Day Creation by Kenneth L. Gentry

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But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
To Him be glory both now and for ever. Amen. (2 Peter 3:18)

 

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