Some people get uncomfortable when I do several posts in a row about eschatology (end times theology). “Why the fuss?” they may ask. I even had one friend who has a very popular blog say to me that he just doesn’t like talking about eschatology; he feels soteriology is way more important. Well, as far as I understand him I agree: if one doesn’t get his soteriology right then who cares about the end of the world! But can one really understand soteriology without understanding the end of the story? Can one really understand Genesis without understanding Revelation? Or vice-versa?
I don’t think so.
Al Mohler agrees with me. He writes:
There can be no question that a preoccupation with eschatology as a hobby reveals an immature theology. There can also be no question that various groups and individuals have claimed a specific apocalyptic knowledge — setting dates, etc. — and it is true that some religions and ideologies have taken the route to violence.The human mind cannot help but look to the end. For this reason, eschatology will always be a central feature of any worldview or belief system. The Christian doctrine of eschatology is necessary to the biblical story and to the Gospel narrative.
Put simply, the Christian story unravels unless God brings the entire course of human history under His visible and perfect judgment, unless God’s justice is perfectly displayed, unless the Christ is revealed in glory so that every knee bows and every tongue confesses that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father [Phil. 2:11], unless Christ claims His redeemed people, unless God’s triumph in Christ over death, sin, evil, and injustice is made universal. Put simply, unless every eye is dry and every tear is wiped away.
There is no Christian Gospel if history simply unwinds into a meaningless puddle, if the cosmos simply escapes into a cataclysmic black hole, or if the universe finally dies of exhausted energy. Without belief in a biblical eschatology, there is no Christian hope. Without a sense of perfect moral judgment in the end, the human heart is homeless.
Ian McEwan fears belief in eschatology. We should be far more fearful of living among those who fear no judgment to come. History cries out for judgment, and so does the human heart. Atheism offers no final hope, and no hope of moral satisfaction.
The Bible ends with just such a hope, and this confident hope frames the Christian worldview in the end as much as the belief in divine creation frames the beginning. Even so, Lord come quickly.
So what is all the fuss about? Well, simply put, it is about Christ!
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Jason Robertson is a husband and a father and a pastor. He is dedicated to leading and equipping his the Church with God’s word and biblical theology for life ministry, using a combination of pastoral, church planting and evangelism experience. He holds a Master of Divinity from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He is experienced in church planting, evangelism, missions, and the training of pastors and Bible teachers.
Jason has been preaching the gospel since 1985, serving the first ten years of ministry as a Southern Baptist itinerant evangelist out of Milldale Baptist Church in Zachary, LA which ordained him in 1993. He has preached in hundreds of churches in over 30 States and 4 countries. He planted churches in Siberia, Russia in the summers of 1993 and 1994. He founded Murrieta Valley Church in California, which he planted in cooperation with the SBC NAMB in 2001. He also teaches ministry students at California Baptist University.
You can hear his sermons and read his manuscripts on sermonaudio.com. Just follow the link to "sermons" at the top of this page.
I appreciate the attention you have paid to eschatology. Revelation is one of my top two favorite books, James being the other one. It’s a close one.
I am curious about finding out more about Covenant Theology and New Covenant Theology. Any recommendations?
Eschatology is a case-instance of rightly dividing the truth and not a matter of vain babblings. Jesus has an eschatology! That raises the doctrine to a status of utmost importance. Though it can be a complicated topic it is one of all encompassing relevance–a constant theme of God’s word. Eschatology cannot be neglected; but let us not, neither permit it be, sinfully abused to the increase of ungodliness as some have.
I appreciate you brother Jason in being one of the few sober champions on the topic. (11 Tim. 2:11-16. God bless.
Jason, you are missing the point.
Of course eschatology is important. Rev. Al is exactly correct. The whole point is summed up in Rev 22:20 “The one who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon!” Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!”
the question is “how far is to far”? When is it talking at people, not to people?
It is instructive what you quote from Rev. Mohler and what you don’t.
Don’t see anything Dispy’
Don’t see anything CT
He identifies what is truly important about Eschatology, and leaves it at that. No cracks about 40 foot wall posters. No questioning if one is TR if one doesn’t take a specific position.
Actually, your quote illustrates my point
From a layperson’s standpoint (me, specifically), eschatology is indeed important and it is also important to be aware of it, but it seems to me that to delve into it deeply without a good basis of understanding of the Gospel in general is foolishness. This is my humble opinion as one who is not formally trained but is constantly learning about the Word of God at church, by books and by reliable Christians. Please keep us novices in mind and in perspective. Not everyone has extensive training/instruction in soteriology, eschatology and/or other “ology”s. For whatever it’s worth.
Dac, if one sees dispensationalism as a faulty theology, then why are “cracks about 40-foot wall posters” more offensive than the posters themselves?
Carl,
I hear you loud and clear. I hope if you look through the archives of FIDE-O you will find some simple posts in outline form that define the basics of all eschatological points of view and compares them biblically.
I also recommend reading monergism.com
By the way, are our Saints going to sign Colston or what?
Jason,
I’ve been reading FIDE-O for a while now and have benefited greatly from it. My post was just a humble reminder to not forget us “little people” out here. Sometimes folks more spiritually mature kinda forget their past in terms of being babes in Christ and kinda overcomplicate matters. As I said, it’s just my two-cents worth and I ain’t expecting change back.
I’ve bookmarked monergism.com long ago. Lots of outstanding materials on there that I’ve referenced often. In fact, I’ve found a lot of places online beneficial to Christians. I really need to update the Christian links of my homepage and add a bunch of them that I already have on my blog links. Ahh…procrastinating, I guess.
As to the Saints…
They are in preliminary talks with not only Colston but also G Jahri Evans about possible contract extensions. The New Orleans Times-Picayune is being optimistic in its reporting that the Saints and Colston will come to terms fairly soon. Since the Saints really have no one of Colston’s calibre to replace him, they will eventually give him what he wants. It’s just taking more time than fans would like. Negotiations are slow.
lee:
Gross mis characterizations are never helpful in edifying others. If even 10 percent of dispies were that way, it might be a useful characteriztion. But dispiesm has moved pretty darn far in the past 20 years.
I would hardly call a crack about 40-foot wall charts a gross mis-characterization. Just about every dispensationalist I’ve met clings to those charts and interprets Revelation through newspaper headlines.
If by saying “dispiesm has moved pretty darn far in the past 20 years” you mean it has grown more outrageous, I would agree. Right now, it’s characterized more by men like Tim LaHaye, Hal Lindsey, John Hagee, Rod Parsley, Kenneth Copeland, Jack Van Impe, etc. than men like John MacArthur.