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Years ago we were ardent students of end-times speculation. Hal Lindsey was all the rage, and he had us Scripture-jumping through Ezekiel, Daniel, Matthew, and of course, Revelation.
It seemed to make sense. The 70 weeks, the rapture, the tribulation; Hal and people like him had it all lined out. We used to talk about current events as if every piece of news was tied in to Bible prophecy. We would wonder if the Pope was the ant-christ. We devoured the "Left Behind" series of books.
But we never sat down with our open Bibles and read the actual Scriptures in their context. We relied on "experts" to tell us what these disparate Scriptures meant and how they fit together.
The twists and turns of premillenial dispensationalism ultimately became too convoluted for us. We eventually came to two conclusions:
- What these end-times preachers were saying made no sense, and
- There is little benefit or edification in knowing these things
Frankly, we don't know whether the correct position is pre-trib or post-trib. We don't know if preterism is correct. We don't know if the thousand year reign is to come, has already happened, or if we are in it right now. And, we don't really care.
We don't care because it makes no difference in the way we live our Christian lives. It changes no scriptural obligation we have. It influences no crucial doctrine. It does not impact the need to share the Gospel, live a holy life, minister to the hurting, or worship the Lord in Spirit and in truth.
It doesn't change our identity as a saint; justified and righteous because of the blood of Jesus. It doesn't change our obligation to fellowship, give, sing, pray, or study the Word. In other words, eschatology is very nearly irrelevant to our day-to-day lives as Christians.
But here we have a person who is convinced that studying eschatology is a crucial endeavor. Let's see if Ms. Prata makes a persuasive case. She has been less than rigorous in her logic in the past.
Happily she will actually quote a number of Scriptures. This is a marked change from her usual practice.
1. Why Study Prophecy (the prophetic scriptures)
It’s a sanctifying hope. Keeping our eyes on the heavenlies keeps our hope in the future reward alive. Our citizenship isn’t here on earth, it’s in heaven. Hoping in faith for Jesus to come, each day, (‘When you pray, pray…Thy Kingdom Come…’ Matthew 6:10) keeps us inside a sanctifying hope. Our eyes lodged firmly on Jesus, we can better resist the flesh, which, in our sanctifying hope, we know will pass away
And every man that has this hope in him purifies himself, even as he is pure. (1 John 3:3) (None of this has anything to do with the author's premise. We have a hope in God, which is future. Ro. 8:24-25:
For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.In other words, by definition a hope is related to future events or or a change in status. Regardless of our eschatology, we have a hope for His Kingdom to come in fullness, "on Earth as it is in heaven;" we have hope in our redemption as sons (Ro 8:23); and, we have a call to hope that needs to be understood (Eph 1:18).
But none of this comes to bear on what eschatology one holds.)
2. What does it mean to keep our eyes on our future?
It means we always remember this earth is not our home. Once your mind is awakened to this concept that we are pilgrims, you will see the reference and types throughout scripture from the Old Testament to the New. The Bible alternately uses words like sojourner, exiles, foreigners, aliens, and strangers.
You shall not oppress a sojourner. You know the heart of a sojourner, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt. (Exodus 29:3)
Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear to my cry; hold not your peace at my tears! For I am a sojourner with you, a guest, like all my fathers. (Psalm 39:12)
Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation. (1 Peter 2:11-12)
The word in Greek as used in the 1 Peter 2 means,
parepídēmos – a sojourner (foreigner) – literally, someone “passing through” but still with personal relationship with the people in that locale (note the prefix, para, “close beside”). This temporary (but active) relationship is made necessary by circumstances.
The writer of Hebrews noted the patriarchs that have come before us, and concludes,
All these people died in faith, without having received the things they were promised. However, they saw them and welcomed them from afar. And they acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.
Do we acknowledge we are in relationship with the citizens of earth but know this relationship is temporary? Or do we participate in the world systems, for example the political, with a do-or-die attitude? (Again, all of this is irrelevant to one's eschatology.)
3. What will happen at the very, very end?
But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. (2 Peter 3:10).
As John MacArthur said of global warming: “So, your hairspray isn’t going to do it. Go ahead and spray.”
This is one startling example of reasons not to get entangled in world systems. In the above case, it’s environmentalism. In the vein of the word sojourner above, we have a relationship with the people in our lives and our surroundings, and God did tell us to shepherd the earth (care for the garden). But getting embroiled in saving the earth is a quite different activity. It is an activity that people who are eternally attached to the earth will do. We are not attached to the earth. Upon salvation, our citizenship was transferred off the earth, to heaven.
We can rejoice in knowing our future is with Jesus and He is sovereign over all things, including the prophetic plan.
(The author has completely failed to connect eschatology to anything crucial in the faith. In fact, the author makes a good case for hope in Christ and having a view towards our true home in heaven. But the events leading to that hope were not addressed.)
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