Eschatology: the study of end times

Although there are different interpretations of prophecy, the common beliefs weld the Church to a united belief that

Christ is coming again

Belief in common: Death

• Common reality (Heb 9:27, “And just as people are appointed to die once, and then to face judgment”)

• Death only applies to body —soul is eternal (Mt 10:28 “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Instead, fear the one who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”)

• Death is end of physical life of separation of soul and body (James 2:26, “For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.”)

• Body returns to dust (Gen 3:19, “…for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you will return”)

• Death is “wages” for sin (Rom 6:23, “For the payoff of sin is death,”)

• Life continues through death in one of 2 states (Lk 16:19-31)• 2 Cor 5:8, “Absence from body (death) and to be home with the

Lord” • Phil 1:23, “I feel torn between the two, because I have a desire to

depart and be with Christ, which is better by far,”

Common belief: Heaven• One of only 2 destinies of every soul, houranos, “to cover,

what is above”• Three concepts of word:

– Atmospheric heaven (Gen 1:20), place of birds; (Gen 26:13) place of clouds

– Celestial heaven—realm of sun, moon, star (Gen 1:14; Deut 17:3)– Dwelling place of God, “third heaven” (2 Cor 12:2, “I know a man in

Christ who fourteen years ago (whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows) was caught up to the third heaven.; Mt 6:9, “Our Father in heaven”; Isa 66:1, “The heavens are my throne and the earth is my footstool.”)

• Though omnipresent, but only here Shekinah glory illuminates (Revelation 21:23 The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, because the glory of God lights it up, and its lamp is the Lamb.”

• It is a place, not a state (Jn 6:38, “For I have come down from heaven”)• It is a prepared place (Jn 14:2-3, “I go to prepare a place for you.”), a

“paradise” (Lk 23:43, “today you will be with me in paradise.")• OT, “gathered to his people” (Gen 25:8), suggest immortality• Moses and Elijah came from God’s presence for Transfiguration (Mt 17)

Common belief: New Jerusalem

• Old heaven and old earth renovated by fire (2 Pet 3:10, “the heavens will disappear with a horrific noise, and the celestial bodies will melt away in a blaze, and the earth”) because of angelic and human rebellion against God

• Home of redeemed of all ages• Intimate fellowship with God (Rev 20:3-4)• Description:

– Walled: suggests security (21:12-13, “It has a massive, high wall with twelve gates, with twelve angels at the gates, and the names of the twelve tribes of the nation of Israel are written on the gates.”)

– Foundation stones (21:14 “The wall of the city has twelve foundations, and

on them are the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.) Names of apostles suggests the church is present

– Measurements (21:15-18): 1500 cubic miles: “Now the city is laid out as a square, its length and width the same. He measured the city with the measuring rod at fourteen hundred miles (its length and width and height are equal”).

– Adornment (21:19-21): brilliant stones to reflect Shekinah glory– Availability (21:22): direct access

• Purpose (21:24-26): eternal dwelling place of believers

Common beliefs: Hell

• Sheol (OT): 65x with a variety of meanings:– Grave (Job 17:13; Ps 16:10; Isa 38:10)– Place of dead: good and bad (Gen 37:35; 42:38; Job 14:13; Ps

55:15)– Believers rescued from Sheol (Ps 16:9-11; 17:15; 49:13)

• Hades – 10x – LXX translation from Sheol, name of god of nether world of dead– Inter-testament period developed the 2-compartment theory

(Persian Zoroastrianism influence)– Used in two ways: (1) Place when referring to punishment; (2)

state of death where all must go (7x) (Mt 16:18; Acts 2:27, 31)

• Gehenna – 12x– Designation for eternal punishment– Place of continual burning in Valley of Hinnon, where infants

sacrificed to Molech (2 Ki 16:3)– Punishment connected with final judgment

Common beliefs: Hell• Tartaroo – 1x (2 Pet 2:4)

– Used in classical mythology for subterranean abyss where rebellious gods are punished

• Abyss – 7x in NAS– Meaning “bottomless”– Prison of demons (Lk 8:31; Rev 9:1-2, 11)– Satan is king over demons of abyss (Rev 9:11)– Release of demons in Tribulation (Rev. 9:1)– Satan bound here for 1000 yrs (Rev 20:1-3)

• Other terms– “Unquenchable fire” (Mt 3:12); “Furnace of fire” (Mt 13:42,50)– “Eternal fire” (Mt 25:41)– “Lake of fire” (Rev 19:20); “Lake that burns w/fire” (Rev 21:8)– “Outer darkness” (Mt 8:12; 22:13)

Common belief: Return of Christ +300x in NT

• Christ taught return would be literal, physical event (Acts 1:11, “This same Jesus who has been

taken up from you into heaven will come back in the same way you saw him go into heaven.")

• Hope in reality of event would be a comfort (Jn 14:1-3, “And if I go and make ready a place for you, I will come again and take you to be with me, so that where I am you may be too.)

• Unknown time (Mt 24:36,” as for that day and hour no one knows it--not even the angels in heaven--except the Father”, 42; 25:1-13)

• In His absence everyone should be faithful stewards (Mt 24:45-51, “…Blessed is that slave whom the master finds at work when he comes…”v. 46)

Common belief: Return of Christ +300x in NT

• Anticipating the reward for faithfulness Revelation 22:12 “Look! I am coming soon, and my reward is with me to pay each one according to what he has done!”

• Bodies of believers transformed w/o dying at His return (1 Th 4:13-18, “Then we who are alive, who are left, will be suddenly caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.”)

• True understanding of this doctrine will motivate purity (1 Jn 3:3, “everyone who has this hope focused on him purifies himself, just as Jesus is pure”) and “holy conduct” (2 Pet 3:11)

Common belief: Resurrection of Dead• OT: David spoke of awakening in God’s presence (Ps

17:15, “As for me, because I am innocent I will see your face; when I awake you will reveal yourself to me.”)

– Asaph had faith that God would receive him in heaven (Ps 73:24-25, “Whom do I have in heaven but you? I desire no one but you on earth.”)

– Isaiah 26:19, “Your dead will come back to life; your corpses will rise up. Wake up and shout joyfully, you who live in the ground! For you will grow like plants drenched with the morning dew, and the earth will bring forth its dead spirits.”;

– Dan 12:1-2, “…Many of those who sleep in the dusty ground will awake-- some to everlasting life, and others to shame and everlasting abhorrence.”

Common belief: Resurrection of Dead

• NT: Jesus said Sadducees denied it because of lack of understanding Scripture and power of God (Mt 22:29, “Jesus answered them, "You are deceived, because you don't know the scriptures or the power of God.”; Mk 12:24-27)– Jesus is not only eternal life, but resurrection (Jn 11:25-26,

“Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live even if he dies,”)

– Paul explains it as foundation of faith (1 Cor 15:17, “And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is useless; you are still in your sins.”)

– The heart of NT preaching (Acts 2:31; 4:2, 33; 17:18,32; 23:6, 8; 24:15, 21)

– Told to remember resurrection truth (2 Tim 2:8,” Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of David; such is my gospel,”

Common belief: Judgments

• Right must be rectified and wrong, punished, or justice doesn’t exist anywhere!

• God’s judgment is fair and according to truth (Rom 2:2, “Now we know that God's judgment is in accordance with truth”)

• Historical judgment: – Lucifer and fallen angels judged (2 Pet 2:4, “…God did not spare the

angels who sinned, but threw them into hell and locked them up in chains in utter darkness…”)

– Flood judged Noah’s generation (Gen 6-7)– Israel judged by Assyria (2 Kings 17:1-6); Judah, by Babylon (2 Kings

25:1-12)– Ananias and Sapphira judged in NT (Acts 5:1-11)– Ungodliness is judged now (Rom 1:18, “For the wrath of God is revealed

from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of people who suppress the truth by their unrighteousness,)

• Jesus has authority to judge (Jn 5:27-29, “he has granted the Son authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man…”)

Common belief: Judgments

• Amount of knowledge of truth a factor (Mt 11:24, “But I tell you, it will be more bearable for the region of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you!")

• All will be judged (Heb 9:27, “And just as people are appointed to die once, and then to face judgment,”)– Note: death is not judgment (JW)

• A record is kept of all works of every human (Rev 20:4-15; see also Ps 139:16; Phil 4:17, “…I seek the credit that abounds to your account.”)

• Objective of unbeliever’s judgment is just cause for condemnation (Rev 20:15, “If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, that person was thrown into the lake of fire.”)

Common belief: Judgments

• Objective of believer’s judgment is just cause for Praise from God (1 Cor 4:5, “He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.”)

• 2 Cor 5:10– “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.”--“good or bad”, kakos, “worthless, useless”

• Rewards given are worth any suffering in this life (Ro 8:18, “For I consider that our present sufferings cannot even be compared to the glory that will be revealed to us.”)

Common belief: Eternal State in Hell• “Weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Mt 8:12; 13:42, 50; 22:13; 24:51;

25:30)• In Mt 25:46, “And these will depart into eternal punishment,

but the righteous into eternal life”-- “eternal” modifies “punishment” and “life”, “

• Destiny of devil and false prophet (Rev 20:10, “And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet are too, and they will be tormented there day and night forever and ever.”)

• Just punishment means degrees of affliction (Lk 12:47-48, “And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required:)

• Aspects: 1) Total absence of God’s favor, 2) Endless consequences of damnation of sin, 3) Serious pain and suffering in body and soul, 4) Subjective punishment from anguish, regret, despair, conscience, bitterness, anger (Mk 9:43-44; 47-48; Lk 16:23, 28; Rev 14:10; 21:8)

Common belief: Eternal State in Heaven

• Eternal fellowship in Christ’s company (Jn 14:2, “There are many dwelling places in my Father's house. …, because I am going away to make ready a place for you.”)

• Pictured as a banquet (Mt 8:11, “I tell you, many will come from the east and west to share the banquet with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven,”)

• Inhabitants in New Jerusalem (Heb 12:22-24): 1) angels , 2) NT believers, “first-born”, God, OT saints-“those made righteous” and Jesus

• A literal place with specific dimensions• Where God dwells in fellowship with man (Rev 21:3, “among”,

meta, “in close association with”• No sorrow nor cause for sorrow (Rev 21:4,5) • Believers see him face to face (Rev 22:4, “and they will see his

face, and his name will be on their foreheads.”)