Posted on 10/04/2015 6:09:34 PM PDT by grumpa
WHAT IS THE ESCHATON?
The term ESCHATON refers to the so-called “last days” or “end times.” It is the same root word as ESCHATOLOGY, the study of the biblical “last things.”
There is great confusion over the biblical “end times.” After studying this for many years, I am persuaded that the culmination of NONE of the mentions of the "last days" or "end times" in the Bible can be placed outside of the first century. While this is shocking at first to some Christians, it is worth taking the time to study this.
There are 15 primary mentions of the end times in the New Testament. Here are some examples:
• In Acts 2:14-20, Peter declared that he (and his contemporaries) were living in the last days predicted by the prophet Joel.
• In 1 Peter 4:7, Peter put an exclamation point on this. The “end” was AT HAND.
• In Hebrews 1:2, the writer declared the same thing: HE and HIS CONTEMPORARIES were living in the last days.
• In Hebrews 9:26, the writer declared that Jesus had appeared at the END OF THE AGES, again referring to the time he was living.
• In 1 Corinthians 10:11, Paul also insisted that he was living at the END OF THE AGES.
• In 1 John 2:17-18, John reiterated the message of the other writers by saying that it was the “LAST HOUR.”
Other references include Matthew 24:14; 1 Corinthians 7:31; 1 Timothy 4:1; 2 Timothy 3:1-5; James 5:3-9; 1 Peter 1:5, 20; 2 Peter 3:3; Jude 18. All of the biblical writers spoke with one voice on this. The question is, “What were these writers declaring? The end of WHAT?”
It was not the end of history, but rather, the end of the Old Covenant Age, which Jesus predicted would happen in THEIR generation (Matthew 10:23; 16:26-28; 23:36-39; 24:3, 34; 26:64). It would be associated with the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple (Luke 21:20-24, 32). These New Testament declarations match perfectly with Daniel’s “time of the end” which would happen when the “power of the holy people would be finished” (Daniel 12).
When the Bible speaks of the “Last Days” it is ALWAYS speaking of the Last Days of the AGE—not the Last Days of the planet or of our current age. This is confirmed by over 100 passages in the New Testament that taught the imminence of the last days’ events. Just one example is Hebrews 8:13—“In speaking of a new covenant, He makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.”
So when was the eschaton? It was the period between Christ’s first advent and his coming “in judgment” against the Jews in AD 70. The events of AD 70 washed away the visible fabric of Judaism, so that no one could any longer say that salvation was in the ritual sacrifices of Judaism. Jesus was now the only way to salvation. He is the new temple—the way, the truth, and the life.
Some people think that, yes, the “last days” began in the first century, but continue today. But there is not a shred of valid evidence or logic for that. That would make the end times longer than the period to which it was an end.
Your knee-jerk reaction may be, “Well, what about this other passage . . . ?” With the knowledge about the “last days” above, let’s talk and study some more about this.
www.prophecyquestions.com
Scary. To see God’s Word come to life daily and deny it. I will pray for you mate.
I once saw two very smart Bible scholars discussing the end times. They were good friends and I think they agreed on most things but they had totally varying beliefs on “The Rapture”.
I will have to confess that part of it is hard for me to understand.
I was just listening to R.C. Sproul speaking on this very topic the other day. It made eminent sense to me.
Thank you.
It is odd that the author takes a radical position about the Eschaton and does not mention Revelations at all.
Amen! We are currently studying the Books of Daniel, followed by Hebrews, then the Revelation of John; i.e., in Daniel to the “End of the Age”, in Hebrews an earthly view of the transition from the Old to the New Covenants, and the in Revelation of John a Heavenly view of this same transition, even pushing into the “Age to Come”.
It really is the plain interpretation of scripture. And to miss this is to believe the Jesus came, but did not finish the job. He came to reunited us with the Father - in the same way Adam was in “communion” with the Father before the fall. Now - in Christ - we have been fully restored to our created position, “without sin” and Holy acceptable.
I celebrate this every day!!!
Well, its Revelation (singular) but you are correct. One can’t hold the views presented here and have read the Book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ.
Amillennialism? I find the nation of Israel and the Jews a terrible hindrance for me to believe this.
If everything culminated in 70 A.D., that would mean that we’re 1000 plus years after the Millennium reign and must be in eternity now. Some how I expected things to be much different unless we ended up in the other place.
DO we still need to teach? Yes.
Is Satan Bound? No.
Have the conditions of the Millenium been fulfilled? Not hardly.
Has every island made been shaken and moved? No.
There is still a lot of things to be fulfilled before the end of times.
Amillennialism? I find the nation of Israel and the Jews a terrible hindrance for me to believe this.
Dig a bit. It appears this author is a full preterist.
It is getting warmer
Preterist alert, preterist alert, preterist alert
The muzzies are trying to immanentize it, last I heard.
Thank you I didn’t read it as this guy post from time to time and I’ve read the stuff posted before. It seems to be supersessionism too.
HaHaHa...Only want to use and discuss the scriptures you pick out...
“I celebrate this every day!!!”
As it should be! Bless you.
We know it’s gonna be CURTAINS for this world eventually. I cannot commit to anyone’s sure interpretation of prophecy, but I’m in Romans and Paul indicates there an imminent sense of the Day being “at hand”. You find this in other places, too.
Was it the destruction of Jerusalem? Was it the prescribed watchful state of any believer in any era since “no one knows the hour”?
I heard an interesting interpretation that the period of “to the Jew first” ended in A.D. 70 when God said “Lo-ammi” to Israel and then “You are My people” to the Gentiles (and the remnant of Jews “chosen by grace”) and made “one new man out of the two”. Paul’s later letters show a difference in how he approaches the issue, with an emphasis away from earth relations before God and to “the heavenlies” (Ephesians being the summum bonum of this).
I am unable to commit to anyone’s theorem until the Lord makes it clear to ME. Still in “working theory” mode, staying in the Word and mainly delighting in the awesomeness and goodness and lovingkindness of my Father. I do enjoy reading FReepers thoughts on it, lots of sharp believers here!
Satan has been bound - so that the Gospel could reach the nations. Israel was NEVER able to accomplish this, even though they were to be a light to the nations.
Satan was around at the time of Adam and Eve, and he is around now. But he HAS been defeated. All we have to do is claim the authority of Jesus and he will flee.
Try it - you might be amazed!!
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