Christian Foundations

We continue with the Christian Foundations series on the Challenges to the Christian Faith.  So far we have laid the basis of what Jesus Followers hold as truth from what the Bible explains about the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ and God the Creator.

 There is one more major ‘doctrine’ or teaching from the Bible that we need to establish as a foundation, that of ‘Escatology’ or the views about ‘End Time Events’.  It seems little is being taught in our churches today about the return of Jesus Christ, the resurrection of saints and the eternity we all will experience.

 In this section, we will briefly touch on the chart we have included as your Resource, Appendix A.

 

 I.  DOCTRINES ABOUT END TIME EVENTS –‘ESCATOLOGY’

 The study of end-time events can be both complicated and fascinating.  This brief overview gathers information from the books of Daniel, Ezekiel, Isaiah, Joel, and Matthew to John and into Revelation.

 1.  The Church Age

We are presently in the Church Age, starting from Jesus’ resurrection, lasting around 2,000 years and ending with either a ‘great tribulation’ or the beginning of the Millennium.  (See chart on Appendix A)

This is the time of the Holy Spirit’s presence on Earth, drawing people to the Lord.  This time period began with the Day of Pentecost.  It is a period of grace and redemption.

 2.  The Great Tribulation

Tribulation is the time/s where the world suffers incredible evil and the Saints are persecuted.  Some believe that tribulation began with the persecution of the early church and has continued ever since, John 16:33, Acts 14:22.

Others hold there is also a “Great Tribulation” at the end of the age, Matthew 24:21-31, Revelation 7:14, Daniel 12:1, Joel 2 and Isaiah 26:20.  This is a literal, final, definable period of seven years, possibly divided into two time periods of 3 ½ years each.

 3.  The Timing of the Tribulation – Main views are:

a)  ‘Pre-trib’ – The Great Tribulation comes at the end of the Church Age.  The return of the Lord occurs at the end of the church age and at the beginning of the time of tribulation.  With this view, the church is ‘raptured’ and so does not have to experience the hardships of the tribulation (1 Thessalonians  1:10).

Possibly, the martyrs mentioned in Revelation are the ‘Messianic’ believing Jews who had seen Jesus as the Way to God.  This is the view of the popular novels called ‘The Left Behind’ Series.

b)  ‘Mid-trib’ – similar to pre-trib, but the Lord comes in the middle of the tribulation, so the Church is spared at least some of the ‘wrath of God’ poured out on the world.

c)  ‘Post-trib’ – the Great Tribulation occurs at the end of the church age, but the Lord comes at the conclusion of the tribulation.  The  implication is that the ‘wrath of God’ is poured out while the Church is present, but that God ‘hides’ most Christians.  However, some  Christians are caught and killed and become the martyrs of Revelation.

 4. The ‘Rapture‘

The word ‘rapture’, like ‘trinity’, is not in the Bible, but is certainly biblical.  It is the time when the living Saints of God are drawn up into the air to meet the Lord, along with the resurrected righteous dead.  There are four main views:

a)  The rapture takes place before the Great Tribulation,

b)  A 7 year tribulation with the rapture at the 3 ½ year mark,

c)  The rapture at the conclusion of 7 years of Great Tribulation,

d)  The rapture takes place after the millennium happens.

If the Lord gathers His people before the Great Tribulation, there is a time for the judgement seat of Christ where believers receive their rewards and the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.

God gives out judgements and rewards based on our heart responses:

a)  We will be judged and reward by an infallible Judge, Jesus Christ and God’s standards. Romans 2:6-9, Rev. 22:12.

b)  Mankind will be rewarded in different ways, Luke 19:16-19, just like with the Olympic medals, they are incentives toward doing our best.

c)  All will be convicted and convinced of God’s righteous judgement on them, Matthew 12:37, Luke 19:22, Romans 2:15-16, Jude 14-15.

d)  Mankind will be judged according to their attitude about Christ and whether they followed their conscience, John 12:48, Luke 12:8-9.

e)  We will be judged according to the light and opportunities given us, Matthew 11:21-24, Luke 12:48.

f)  Those who had not heard about the Lord Jesus will be judged on their conscience, on their obedience to what they knew was right and wrong, Romans 2:12-15.

5.  The two Resurrections

The Bible shows us that mankind is ‘on probation’ while here on Earth.  What we do here in our lifetime, will echo throughout eternity.  Our free will has given us the opportunity to follow God or to follow our own debased, deceived nature inherited from Adam and Eve.  It is our choice!

a)  Jesus and the New Testament writers spoke about a physical and well as a spiritual resurrection, John 5:28-29, 6:39-54, Luke 16:19-31, 20:35-36, 1 John 3:14, Acts 24:15, 1 Corinthians 15:1, 1 Thessalonians 4:4-18, Philippians 3:11, 21.

b)  All mankind, wicked and righteous, will be eternally separated into two groups:  the sheep and the goats, the wicked and the just, the saints and the disobedient, Matthew 25:33-34, 41, 13:49, 2 Thessalonians  1:8-10.

c)  God gives out judgements and rewards based on our heart responses.

We will be judged and reward by an infallible Judge, Jesus Christ and by God’s standards. Romans 2:6-9, Revelation 22:12.  Mankind will be rewarded in different ways, Luke 19:16-19, just like Olympic medals, they are incentives toward doing our best.

All will be convicted and convinced of God’s righteous judgement on them, Matthew 12:37, Luke 19:22, Romans 2:15-16, Jude 14-15.  Mankind will be judged according to their attitude about Christ and whether they followed their conscience, John 12:48, Luke 12:8-9.

We will be judged according to the light and opportunities given us, Matthew 11:21-24, Luke 12:48.

d)  The believer’s judgement:  We will come before the Judgement seat of Christ, 1 Corinthians 3:11-15, 2 Corinthians 5:10-11.  It is not a punishment or judgement concerning the believer’s salvation, as this was settled when the Christian accepted Jesus’ atoning work.  Instead it will be a testing, by fire, of our works and service for the Lord, based on our motives, intents and heart condition.

What good news this is —- > You will never stand before a judgemental, angry God who is demanding you give account of your life or that you face the evil and sin that you have committed!  That was paid for by Jesus.   You will stand before a loving Father, with Jesus at your side.  There will be whole pages in your ‘scrapbook of life’ that will be empty because you accepted the work of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection.

Again what good new this is!

 e)  Unbelievers will face God at the Great White Throne of Judgement, Revelation 20:11-15.  There they will be judged, without their acceptance of Jesus, according to their works, Daniel 7:10, 22-26, Acts 24:28, Jude 14-15, Hebrews 9:27, Romans 2:5,16, 1 Timothy 2:24.

6.  Jesus Returns to defeat Satan

The Majesty of the Glorified Lord Jesus will come with His saints to signal Satan’s rule is at an end.  This begins the Battle of Armageddon, Revelation 19:17-21.  The Antichrist is destroyed, 2 Thessalonians 2:8, Revelation 19:20.  Satan, the Great deceiver is bound for a 1,000 years, Revelation 20:1-3.

Jesus comes to the Mount of Olivet as prophesied in Zachariah 14:1-4 and the Jewish nation with see Him as their Messiah.  He is seen as King of Kings and Lord of Lords by all.  Some believe that this total revelation will follow with the Great White Throne judgement of the living unbelievers, Matthew 25:31-46 or it this event will happen at the end of the Millennium when Satan is released from his prison.  Revelation 20:5 shows the rest of the unbelieving dead will not be judged until after the Millennium.

So we have begun our study into ‘ESCATOLOGY’ or the study of End time events.  So far we have defined our current time period – ‘The Church Age’ which started with Jesus’ resurrection and will last until He returns.  Then we went on to the different views on the coming Tribulation and the Rapture, when Jesus collects His people.  After that, we saw the Judgement of the saints, living and dead and the defeat of Satan.

In our next post we will continue with the 1,000 years of peace known as the Millennium.  …but the story hasn’t finished yet.  Satan is loosed and sets about to deceive anyone who will listen to him.  This period will end with the battle between God and Magog, where Satan and his followers are forever defeated.

After this time period, the Great White Throne judgement happens when all-knowing, all-present Jehovah God will judge the unbelieving resurrected dead.  Since God is a God of justice, the voice of the innocents will finally be heard and punishment given.  People will follow their ‘master’ either into the presence of God or outside His presence.

All that remains of this story of redemption and decisions is that the heavens and earth are cleansed by fire and a new stage is set: time and space disappears and we shall enter the eternity of eternities, without end.

Since our Creator is outside time and space, we shall know His final plans for the destiny of the human race.  My prayer is that you are among this amazing group of people!

Susanne Fengler, Blog Author

www.christianfoundations.jesus-treeoflife.info

 

 

Tags: end time events
Filed under: Challenges to the Christian Faith