It's the End of the World AsWe Know It - Why Eschatology

It has been quite a long time since I decided to start a blog of sorts discussing Eschatology and the class I taught that is available at www.sermonaudio.com. The delay has been a combination of laziness, busy work and family schedule during the summer and fall and ultimately trying to figure out the best way to start the actual discussion.

But several weeks back the Pastor of the church I am currently attending made the comment (heard all so often) that discussion, debate and interaction on the topic of eschatology is relatively “fruitless” and should be relegated to back burner discussion in favor of salvation, grace and works of mercy. I agree to a point that eschatology (from the position of dates, times and seasons) can prove fruitless and frustrating, but eschatology and the views one holds has a greater overall impact on the rest of ones theology and doctrines that it would be a danger to sweep the topic aside as mere conjecture of overwrought tautology.

I understand my pastor’s, and the multitude who agree with him, problem. It doesn’t take more than a cursory glance through a Christian Bookstore and more than an hour of Christian radio and television to note there is a potentially unhealthy obsession with certain issues that possibly pertain to the subject. Wild fancies of imagination run rampant with prognostications regarding the identity of the Beast, Antichrist and Man of Sin while others play mathematical gymnastics with numbers (666), dates and the timeline of festivals. This ”Obsession of the Modern Church” to coin a phrase of Gary DeMar has done much to make more level headed, theologically driven Christians to avoid the subject like a scourge and embrace more pleasant subjects like infra- and supra-lapsarianism.

So it is with this first foray into the blogosphere that my attention will be drawn to the discussion of “Why is Eschatology Important, Anyway?” … at least in part.

First, without sounding flippant, let’s deal with the fact that eschatology is a part of Scripture and as a part of Scripture it deserves our attention and effort to grasp. We are reminded by Paul that “all Scripture is God breathed” (2 Tim 3:16) not just the topics of more seaming relevance (salvation, grace, law et al). Paul’s admonition of the totality of Scriptures importance does not elevate one subject over another, but rather Paul is making the case that “all Scripture,” the subjects contained therein have value to the man of God and is “good for training” and ensuring competency and for equipping the saints (apologetics).

So, with a basic belief in the totality of the necessity of Scripture in mind, one must then seek to discover just how much of the Bible actually deals prophetically. Of the 32,120 verses of Scripture found in the Bible, 8,352 of them are prophetic in nature. That’s about 27% of the Bible devoted to a subject many just wish to ignore. It is true that many of those passages have been fulfilled, they were at one time prophetic and were not ignored by God’s people before their fulfillment. At the same time many (more or less depending on your specific view) remain unfulfilled and are worthy of our time and devotion to understanding them.

Before discussion of the actual impact one’s eschatology may have on the other aspects of their doctrinal beliefs, it would be important to also note that prophecy and eschatology also come with a blessing.

Rev. 1:3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it

Scripture itself argues that there is something to be gained in terms of a blessing for those who take the time to hear, read and attempt to understand what many have called fruitless and too troubling to dive in to. In fact, the Thessalonians were instructed by Paul to encourage one another by “discussing” eschatology. The discussed events, whether they be fully understood or popularly misunderstood, are said to bring comfort and we are to share them with one another.

Next time I will take a more detailed look at that actual impact ones eschatological view has other aspects of our faith. We may even discover that our eschatology both directly and indirectly plays a role in how we view salvation, the purpose and work of Christ, the Church and even how and why we evangelize.