ESCHATOLOGY
1A. INTRODUCTION
1B. Why Study Prophecy?
1C. God considers it important.
Approximately 1/4 of the Bible is
prophetic.
2C. Understanding prophecy brings comfort in the face of sorrow.
It was a comfort for me when my brother died to know that I will see him again in the future.
3C. Understanding prophecy is a great tool for the conviction and conversion of the unbeliever.
Hal Lindsey's book, The Late Great Planet Earth, dealing with this whole subject has been used much in the salvation of many.
4C. The study of prophecy should bring cleansing to the one studying.
Cleansing to the personal life.
2 Pet. 3:13-14 - "But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness. So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him."
5C. You are going to experience a lot of this.
6C. Knowledge about the future should give a person consistency throughout his life.
1D. Some day you will stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ.
2D. Some day this earth, with everything in it will be gone.
7C. God wants you to live now and in the future with eternities values in view.
2B. Overview of Biblical Prophecy (See chart)
3B. Overview of the Book of Revelation
1C. Purpose of the book. Read Rev. 1
1D. To tell us about future events? Yes, but… To show us Christ!
1E. Rev. 1:1 - It is His book/His
revelation.
2E. Jesus must return to vindicate Himself. The book of Revelation portrays Him in glory.
3E. How is Christ portrayed in the rest of the New Testament?
As the suffering servant. In the future Christ is seen in glory, no longer in a humble state. It is inconceivable that the last view the world had of Jesus Christ - a bleeding, dying, crucified criminal, covered with blood, spit and flies, hanging naked in the Jerusalem sky - is the last view they will ever have of Him. Do not believe it! He is coming in exultation. As we go through this book we are going to see Him glory.
2D. It will show us things about the future.
Rev. 1:1 - "to show His servants what must soon take place.
3D. We are to learn from it and it should change our lives.
Rev. 1:3 says "Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near."
Rev. 22:7
Christ says, "Behold I am coming soon! Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy in this book."
2C. Outline of the Book.
1D. It is given to us in the passage.
Rev. 1:17-19, "When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as though dead. Then He placed His right hand on me and said: "Do not be afraid, I am the first and the last. I am the living one; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever!
And I hold the keys of death and hades.
Write therefore, what you have seen what is now and what will take place later."'
2D. John is told to write three things.
1E. What you have seen - the vision he has just seen of Christ.
2E. What is now - the vision of the seven churches - current history and events.
3E. What will take place - future events
Chapter Breakdown
Rev. 1 - Vision of the Glorified Christ. Introduction and Theme of the book.
Rev. 2 - 3
- Letters to the Seven Churches.
Historical, Typical, Prophetical.
Rev. 4 - 5 - In heaven, seeing God, the scroll, the Lamb.
Rev. 6 - 11 - The Tribulation - breaking of seals as Christ take back the earth.
*Rev. 12 - (Parenthetical) War in heaven, Satan cast to earth, War on earth.
*Rev. 13 - (Parenthetical) The two world rulers, Anti-Christ, false prophet.
*Rev. 14 - (Parenthetical) Preview of Rev. 19 - Victory of the Lamb.
Rev. 15 - 16 - The end of the seals - the bowl judgments.
*Rev. 17 - Woman & Beast (False Religion & Anti-Christ).
*Rev. 18 - Fall of
Rev. 19 - Marriage Supper of the Lamb, Return of Christ.
Rev. 20 - Millennium, Great White Throne Judgement.
Rev. 21-22 - Eternity Future, Conclusion.
*characteristic
of the whole Tribulation.
2A. THE RAPTURE
1B. What is the Rapture?
1C. Definition.
The Rapture is the return of the Lord Jesus Christ for all believers in the Church Age. Believers will meet Christ in the air.
2C. The Term.
The actual word for "rapture" does not occur in the New Testament. It comes from the Latin equivalent rapere. And it means "to seize, to grasp hastily, to lift up, transport." Thus the rapture is the catching or snatching up of believers to Christ in the air.
2B. The Fact of the Rapture (1 Thess. 4:13-18; 1 Cor. 15).
1C. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. (Also John 14:1-3).
"Brothers, we don not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have not hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him according to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore comfort each other with these words."
1D. The Situation.
The Thessalonian believers expected Christ to return at any moment. But during that time several believers had died and the question arose as to whether they would miss out on the blessings of the rapture. Paul is comforting them by
saying that they are not going to miss the rapture.
2D. The Facts.
1E. "those who are asleep" - Some get the doctrine of soul sleep from this. No. Luke 16:19-31 parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man. Both were very much awake. Rev. 6:9 - Souls under the altar shows people are conscious at death. Bible uses the term asleep to indicate a refreshment for our body.
2E. "dead in Christ shall rise first" - New Testament believers only. Not Old Testament. We who are "in Christ" are the church, not Old Testament saints. After them, then us.
3E. "Voice of an archangel" - According to Jude 9 this is Michael. He is God's leader of the angels, the commander-in-chief, God's general. We do not know what he says, maybe it was "Yahoo."
4E. "trumpet of God" - Trumpets are used in many ways in the Old Testament, but one of the ways was to use a trumpet to summon people.
2C. 1 Corinthians 15:51-54.
"Listen, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed - in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.
For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true; 'Death has been swallowed up in victory.'"
1D. The Mystery
A "Mystery" is something that was not known in the Old Testament. But what is the mystery - it is the rapture. We will not all sleep (die), but we will still be resurrected.
2D. The Changing
1E. How fast?
In the "twinkling of an eye."
Someone has said that that is the time it takes for light to get from the surface of the eye to the retina (the back). Now light travels 286,000 km. per second. That means it takes 1.5 seconds to get from the moon to the earth. It is not going to take it long to get from the back of my eye to the front of it.
2E. How will we be changed?
Phil. 3:20-21 says, "For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall change our lowly body, that it may be fashioned like His glorious body…"
What was Christ's glorified body like? We are going to get one.
1F. It was spiritual - not confined to natural laws.
1G. He could appear and disappear (Luke 24:31, 36).
2G. He could go through walls (Jn. 20:19,26).
2F. It was physical
1G. He could eat fish and honeycomb (Luke 24:42-43).
2G. He could show the disciples the scars in His hands and feet (Luke 24:39-40).
3G. He could speak and be understood (Luke 24:32).
3F. It was powerful
He stood on a mountain and just took off into space (Acts 1:9-11).
4F. It was glorified
He could transport
Himself by a thought (Luke 24:31).
5F. It was incorruptible.
He will come in the same body that He left in almost 2,000 years ago (Acts 1:11).
3E. The Priority.
It will be great to have a new body, but it will be even better to be with Christ.
We must remember that.
3B. The Time of the Rapture
NOTE:
The Two Phases - We use the term "Second Coming of Christ" in many different ways. What we do is see it in two phases. First is the Rapture, then the "Second Advent" or "Second Coming" as we sometimes call it.
1C. Major Views
Warning: What ever position you come to regarding the rapture is just a theological conclusion. There is no verse that easily states what really is the truth. There are good arguments for both the Pre and Post-Tribulation positions. Good biblical scholars hold either position. So don't separate fellowship over this issue.
1D. Pre-tribulational:
The church will be raptured before the tribulation which is equated with the 70th week of Daniel (Dan. 9:24-27) and is therefore not on earth during this seven year period.
2D. Mid-tribulational:
The church will be raptured at the middle of the 70th week of Daniel 9. It will suffer under the anti-christ for the first 3 1/2 years, but will be with Christ during the last 3 1/2 years known as "The Great Tribulation."
3D. Post-tribulational:
The church will go through the tribulation period. It will suffer much under the anti-christ, but will be divinely preserved from the effects of the wrath of God much like
4D. Partial-rapture:
Only the sanctified or godly will be
taken. Only those who are waiting for His coming, not ashamed at His coming, or spiritually ready will be taken (1 John 2:28; Heb. 9:28; 1 Cor. 9:27).
5D. "Pan-rapture":
This is a non-theological position where one holds to the most optimistic choice until proven wrong, hoping that everything will "pan out in the end." Has the concept of panning for Gold - the Old West, Bicol region. It is the idea that what you are looking for will be left after everything else is gone. Everything will pan out in the end.
2C. Arriving at a solution (questions you should ask for a Pre-Trib. position).
1D. Is the rapture different than the Second Coming of Christ to the earth?
See supplemental sheet for comparison.
2D. What is the purpose of God in the Tribulation and to who does it relate?
Rev. 3:10 Rev. 6:10 Rev. 8:13 Rev.
1:10 Rev. 12:12
Rev. 13:8 Rev. 13:12, 14 Rev. 17:2, 8 Isa.
24:21 Isa. 24:21
Isa. 26:21 Jer. 30:3, 7 Dan. 12:1 Matt.
24:15:22
1E. To pour out judgment on ungodly men and nations. Judgment on the world that has hated Him and his Son. Jer. 25:32 - speaks of the Tribulation speaking of the judgment on the world to the point of not even trying to bury all the dead. (Isa. 26:21; 1 Thess. 2:12; Rev. 6:8, 15). The kingdom of righteousness is coming, and in order for their to be righteousness, there has to be judgment.
2E. To prepare the nation
3E. We are not told that the Church is to go through the Tribulation to purify or judge it.
4E. Why would God want to judge someone whom He has redeemed and paid the judgment for already?
3D. Is the church given any promise or
exhortation concerning the tribulation?
Is the church ever mentioned in the tribulation period (Rev. 6-19)?
1E. No exhortation.
2E. There is no mention of the Church in Rev. 6-19 (description of the Tribulation). It is strange that John would shift from detailed instructions for the Church to absolute silence about the Church for the subsequent 15 chapters if, in fact, the church continued into the Tribulation.
4D. Is the church in the 70th week of
Daniel? Dan. 9:24 says, "thy people."
1E. The Church was not told about the 70th week of Daniel. The Jews were, and they still have prophecy to be fulfilled during that time.
2E.
The prophecy of the "seventy weeks" given to Daniel, refers to
Daniel 9:24 - "Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon they holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy."
1F. "weeks" - The Hebrew phrase means "sevens" or "periods of seven." Here it is not a reference to days, but years as we shall see. "Seventy weeks" is therefore seventy periods of seven years each.
70 X 7 years = 490
years
Therefore the prophecy is describing 490 years of
Daniel 9:25, "Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.
"seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks" is a total of 69 "years."
Each of these periods of time is seven each.
69 X 7 years = 482 years
2F. The starting of that history.
The start of this historical period called "Daniel's seventy weeks," was the "commandment to restore and to build
3F. The divisions within the "Seventy Weeks."
This is the reason why there is a division in verse 25 and 26 into "seven weeks," and "threescore and two weeks." Seven "weeks" would be 7 X 7 = 49 years. That was the length of time from Artaxerxes decree until the walls of
Verse 26, "And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for Himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined."
After the end of the 69 "weeks" the Messiah will "be cut off" - referring to the crucifixion. The phrase "but not for Himself" refers to the fact that his death was not for Himself, but for us as believers. The verse also tells us that after the end of this time, the city (
Daniel 9:27, "And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week; and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate."
4F. The Final Week - The Tribulation.
5D. Was the rapture of the church imminent according to the New Testament expectation or did they look for intervening events?
1E. If you are Post-Tribulationist, then certain prophecies would have to be fulfilled in order for the rapture to take place. The appearance of :
anti-christ
Beast (false prophet)
Abomination of desolation
etc.
2E. We are exhorted to look forward to the Lord's return in the rapture, and not anything else
1F. 1 Cor. 1:7 - "Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed."
2F. James 5:7, 8 - "Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near."
3F. 1 Pet. 4:7 - "The end of all things is near. . ."
4F. 1 Thess. 4:17 - The whole context of the passage implies an imminent return. The use of the term "we" strengthens this argument - "WE WHO ARE ALIVE." Paul does not use the term "they" speaking of those in the future.
5F. 1 Cor. 15:51 - Again the use of the word "we" - "we shall not all sleep."
6F. 2 Thess. 2:1-7 - "Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Rapture) and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers, not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report or letter supposed to have come from us, saying that the day of the Lord (Second Coming) has already come."
They were concerned that day of the Lord had already come (Tribulation and Second coming of Christ) and they had missed the rapture. If they were post-Tribulationists, they should have been happy that the end was near, and Paul would have given them some exhortation on endurance, etc..
3E. Some say the temple needs to be rebuilt. It is seen in the Tribulation in the passage from Daniel 9 that we read - sacrifices and offerings.
1F. It is reported that the Jews already have the material for the temple gathered, planned and cut, so they can rebuild their temple. They are simply waiting for the proper time.
2F. The Dome of the Rock - Muslim Mosque which sits on the temple sight. Recent archeology is showing that this may not be the real temple sight, but rather another open area very near it, on which the temple could be erected.
3F. According to Daniel 9:27, the Anti-Christ will cause the sacrifices and offerings to be stopped in the middle of the Tribulation. It is therefore not necessary for it to be build before the Tribulation, but just sometime during the first three and a half years.
6D. Who is the Restrainer of 2 Thess. 2:6-8? Does the removal of the restrainer relate to the rapture of the church?
1E. Some say the restrainer is Government. But there is a lot of government during the Tribulation.
2E. Religion.
But there will also be a lot of religion. The Beast will use the Harlot (False Religion) to gain more power and control.
3E. The Holy Spirit who indwells believers. We are called salt and light. The Holy Spirit, through us, has a ministry and restraining effect on the earth. If the Holy Spirit is withdrawn from the earth, then we are also, because He is always with us.
Rom. 8:9, "And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ."
Remember God is omnipresent (everywhere at the same time) - so the Holy Spirit is not necessarily gone, but simply has a different ministry.
7D. In view of the fact that only believers will be allowed to enter the millennial kingdom (Matt. 25:31-34 - Sheep and Goat Judgment where believers are sent to eternal fire), if the rapture occurs at the second coming and both the dead and living receive their immortal bodies (1 Cor. 15:51-53), where will the population of the millennium who have natural
bodies come from (Jer. 30:20; Isa. 65:20)?
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