eschatology – Michelle Lesley

“We lose down here!”

“You’re just a bunch of Boomers with a pessimistic eschatology!”

It’s been going on for months on X (the artist formerly known as Twitter). The post-mil “We’re sick of the depravity in America. Let’s build a biblical society” Christian Nationalists against the pre/a-mil “Preaching the gospel is the only way you get a biblical society, and the signs of the time seem to indicate that that biblical society is not going to happen before Christ’s return” tribe.

Is it

“Change the structure and you’ll have an environment conducive to changing hearts.”

or is it

“The only way to truly change the structure is for people’s hearts to change first.”?

Yes. No. Both. And at this point, I’m tempted to add, “Who cares?”.

If you opened this article looking forward to finding out which side of this argument I take, I’m afraid you’re going to be disappointed. I’m not on either side. I’m on the third side of the argument, which is to stop arguing about it regardless of which side you’re on.

I have friends and loved ones – good, solid, doctrinally sound brothers and sisters – on both sides of the argument. I’m sick of the tension. Sick of each side treating the other like the enemy, idiots, traitors, slanderers. Sick of feeling forced to choose sides. And I’m not going to do it. And I don’t think I’m alone in this “third way”. Not by a long shot.

I have to wonder, were there variegated incarnational theology streams in Israel prior to Christ’s first coming? Did they sit around in the city gate arguing about how much longer it would take for the Messiah to get here? His station in life? The exact timing, order, and nature of the way He would set His people free? Exactly how He would accomplish all of that?

Maybe there were, and maybe they did. And how many of them do you think got all of the details exactly right? My guess is zero. And even if there was some champ of an Israelite who managed to accurately predict exactly how, and in what order everything related to Jesus’ first coming would happen, what did he win? We certainly don’t see God giving him a trophy, or “I told you so” rights, or even mentioning his name and his amazing feat anywhere in Scripture.

Arguing over Christ’s second coming is no less folly.

Can you hold an eschatological position? Sure! Study the Word like there’s no tomorrow. Draw biblical conclusions. Knock yourself out. But at the end of the day, the most any of us can say is, “Based on my best good faith reading of Scripture, I think it’s going to happen like this…”. If God has veiled from our eyes something as simple as the day and hour of Christ’s return, is it not arrogance to think we’ve got all the more complex details figured out definitively?

Nobody knows with 100% certainty exactly how it’s going to happen, brothers and sisters. And we all need to humble ourselves, admit that, and stop beating each other over the head with our educated guesses.

How? There’s just one very simple, very biblical step.

Daily bread

Daily manna

Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Do not boast about tomorrow,
for you do not know what a day may bring.

And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you…’

This is the day that the Lord has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.

God’s mercies are new every morning.

You can probably think of other verses and stories that fit this biblical motif of trusting and obeying God today and not fretting about the future.

The daily manna was actually a test of Israel’s obedience and trust in God on a daily basis. If they gathered more than they needed for that day, they failed the test and God disciplined their disobedience.

Only for the Sabbath were they allowed to look to the future and gather manna one day in advance.

It’s not an accident that “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven,” is immediately followed by “Give us this day our daily bread.”.

“Tomorrow will be anxious for itself.”

Want to stop arguing about Christian Nationalism? Get up every day, love the Lord, and walk in obedience to Him in whatever He gives you to do that day. God opens up an opportunity for you to run for office? Go for it. You have a chance to share the gospel with someone? Do it. Pray. Work. Worship. Study the Word. Love and serve your family and your church.

Stop trying to figure out the next five or five thousand years. Live faithfully today, and glorify God to the best of your ability.

And get up tomorrow and do it all over again.

Stop trying to figure out the next five or five thousand years. Live faithfully today, and glorify God to the best of your ability. And get up tomorrow and do it all over again.
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Movies

Movie Tuesday: A Thief in the Night

September 10, 2019September 9, 2019 Michelle Lesley

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RrXf0zGjxQ

Keep a sharp lookout, for you do not know when I will come, at evening, midnight, early dawn, or late daybreak. Don’t let Me find you sleeping.

Today’s Movie Tuesday is a double whammy: evangelical pop culture and homework. A Thief in the Night was my generation’s Left Behind. It’s the reason Christians my age, who grew up in church experience a split second of terror when we walk into the house and it’s unexpectedly empty. (Did the rapture happen and I didn’t make it?)

So grab your Bible and your popcorn and experience Christianity of yesteryear. Look up the passages that are mentioned in the movie and read them in context. Does the movie rightly handle those passages? Do you agree or disagree with this eschatology? Why? Are movies like this helpful, or do they just scare people into becoming false converts?

And most importantly, whatever way you think the Lord is coming back, He is coming back. Are you ready?

For you yourselves are fully aware that
the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.
1 Thessalonians 5:2

Mailbag

The Mailbag: Eschatology

August 12, 2019August 9, 2019 Michelle Lesley

Can you provide some good resources on eschatology?

Could you answer this question I have about a particular branch of eschatology?

I’ve received a few different questions about eschatology recently. Eschatology is the division of theology that deals with Christ’s second coming and all of the various events and characters involved therein: the Antichrist, the rapture, the millennial reign, the Great Tribulation, etc.

I’ll just be totally transparent with y’all: I’m not equipped to answer questions on eschatology. Every time I’ve sat down and tried to study eschatology, I’ve found it very confusing and have ended up throwing up my hands and walking away from the study materials in frustration. This is partly because, from my perspective anyway, eschatology is largely educated guessing, and our various theories of what will happen when and in which order don’t really matter. I mean it’s not like you’re going to stand before the Lord on Judgment Day and He’s not going to let you into Heaven because you were pre-millennial instead of post-millennial. And it’s not something that should have any impact on our day to day fellowship, work, and worship with other Believers.

When Christ returns, events will unfold as laid out in Scripture. Until then, we have a limited understanding of what will transpire and the order in which those things will transpire. Here’s my eschatological framework:

• Jesus is coming back for Believers (praise God – I hope it’s really soon).

• Anybody who tells you Jesus has already come back is either lying, deceived, or more ignorant of eschatology that I am (if that’s possible).

• Everything the Bible says about Jesus’ return is true, even though we may have a hard time understanding how all the passages work together. There may be some passages that seem to contradict each other, but we know that’s not the case because God does not contradict Himself. The seeming contradictions happen because our brains are finite. Just because we don’t understand how two pieces of the puzzle can fit together doesn’t mean God doesn’t know how to fit them together perfectly.

• I honestly don’t think anybody in the church era, living or dead, has ever had a 100% perfect, no mistakes or misunderstandings, eschatology. And you know what? It doesn’t matter. When Jesus comes back, He’s going to do things exactly the way and in exactly the order that God has sovereignly predestined that they occur. You don’t get extra points for knowing ahead of time exactly what’s going to happen when, and, at the point of Christ’s return, you’re not going to find anybody who’s interested in listening to “I told you so!” pontifications.

• I think it is much more fruitful to spend our time evangelizing the lost and discipling the saved so that the church will be spiritually ready for the return of Christ. Whatever may happen in the days surrounding His return, we know that none of His sheep will be lost.

• If you enjoy studying eschatology, by all means, go for it! Dig into God’s Word and see what it says! Just a few words of caution:

Don’t become obsessed by it, and don’t let it replace your regular Bible reading time.

Hold your eschatological views loosely and don’t let them come between you and your brothers and sisters in Christ.

Make sure you’re handling Scripture rightly and in context.

If you’re listening to or reading a particular teacher’s materials on eschatology, make sure that person is doctrinally sound in general.

So, can I answer your questions on eschatology or provide you with good resources I’ve personally used? No, but here’s what I can offer:

• Assuming you attend a doctrinally sound church, start with your pastor. Set up an appointment, and ask him to explain the view of eschatology he holds and other views he may be knowledgeable on. Does your church as a whole subscribe to any particular eschatological view? Can he recommend any good resources on eschatology?

• After checking with your pastor, if there’s a well-known doctrinally sound pastor or author whose theology you generally find yourself in agreement with, check his website for resources on eschatology or e-mail him and ask for his recommendations. (Note: Just because you agree with the rest of his theology doesn’t mean you have to agree with his eschatological view.)

• Some seminaries offer online courses (some of them are even free!). Find a good doctrinally sound seminary (yes, unfortunately even seminaries need to be vetted these days) and see if they offer any courses on eschatology. You may want to check out The Master’s University, The Master’s Seminary, Southern Seminary, and Reformed Theological Seminary for starters.

• Don’t get your eschatology from fictional books or movies about the end times. Just…don’t.

• My friend Gabe Hughes was recently asked about eschatology resources. He suggested a few on the August 2, 2019 episode of the WWUTT podcast (around the 24:11 mark). This would be a good place to start.

• I’m going to ask you readers for some help here. Can you suggest any doctrinally sound books, articles, videos, sermons, etc., on eschatology? Leave a comment in the comment box below. (For everyone reading the comments section: A) We’re not going to have any arguments on eschatology in the comments section. B) Please know that I have not vetted any of the suggestions that will be made. Compare everything to rightly handled Scripture, and if it doesn’t match up, chuck it.)

Until the Lord comes back, be about the business of sharing the gospel. We want to take as many people with us as we can.

If you have a question about: a Bible passage, an aspect of theology, a current issue in Christianity, or how to biblically handle a family, life, or church situation, comment below (I’ll hold all questions in queue {unpublished} for a future edition of The Mailbag) or send me an e-mail or private message. If your question is chosen for publication, your anonymity will be protected.

Mark Bible Study

Mark: Lesson 19

September 20, 2017April 4, 2019 Michelle Lesley

Previous Lessons: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18

Mark 13

And as he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!” ²And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”

³And as he sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately, ⁴“Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished?” ⁵And Jesus began to say to them, “See that no one leads you astray. ⁶Many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and they will lead many astray. ⁷And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. This must take place, but the end is not yet. ⁸For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. These are but the beginning of the birth pains.

⁹“But be on your guard. For they will deliver you over to councils, and you will be beaten in synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them. ¹⁰And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all nations. ¹¹And when they bring you to trial and deliver you over, do not be anxious beforehand what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit. ¹²And brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death. ¹³And you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.

¹⁴“But when you see the abomination of desolation standing where he ought not to be (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. ¹⁵Let the one who is on the housetop not go down, nor enter his house, to take anything out, ¹⁶and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. ¹⁷And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! ¹⁸Pray that it may not happen in winter. ¹⁹For in those days there will be such tribulation as has not been from the beginning of the creation that God created until now, and never will be. ²⁰And if the Lord had not cut short the days, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, whom he chose, he shortened the days. ²¹And then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it. ²²For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform signs and wonders, to lead astray, if possible, the elect. ²³But be on guard; I have told you all things beforehand.

²⁴“But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light,²⁵and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. ²⁶And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. ²⁷And then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.

²⁸“From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. ²⁹So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. ³⁰Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.³¹Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

³²“But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. ³³Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come. ³⁴It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake. ³⁵Therefore stay awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning— ³⁶lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. ³⁷And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake.”

Questions to Consider

1. Read verses 1-2. Where had Jesus just been teaching? How do these verses demonstrate the “prophet” part of Jesus’ threefold office of “Prophet, Priest, and King”? Did Jesus’ prophecy come true? How and when? How does this support Jesus’ omniscience and trustworthiness?

2. What were God’s theological reasons for allowing the temple to be destroyed? Why is the temple obsolete now that Christ has come?

3. Examine verses 3-13. In verse 4, the disciples ask what the signs they could be on the lookout for that the temple is about to be destroyed. Does this indicate they expected Jesus to establish His kingdom right away or millennia later? What should Jesus’ answer in 5-8 have indicated to them about the timing of these events? Compare the timing aspect of verses 5-8 with 9-13. In which section does Jesus seem to be indicating events that would happen within the disciples’ lifetime? In which section does Jesus seem to be suggesting that the events He mentions are far off? (Hint: look at Jesus use of the word “you” in both sections.)

4. What “signs” (4) did Jesus say would take place prior to the end of time and the establishment of His kingdom? (5-8) What is Jesus’ primary instruction to the disciples – then and now – in this passage? (5,6,9)

5. What will the disciples “bear witness to” before governors and kings? (9) Sometimes people use verse 11 to suggest that a pastor or teacher need not study for and prepare his sermon or lesson ahead of time, but should speak extemporaneously “by the Holy Spirit”. Examining verse 11 in context, is that what this verse means? How do verses 9-13 refute the “health, wealth, and prosperity” gospel?

6. What is the abomination of desolation of the end times? (14) What does God instruct His people to do when this event occurs? (15-18, 21, 23) What will all of these end times events culminate in? (26-27) Make a list of the specific things in verses 5-25 that Christ says will happen before He returns (26-27).

7. Verses 5-25 deal with “what” will happen. Verses 28-37 deal with w___ they will happen. When does Jesus say these end time events will occur? (32-33) Like the disciples, we tend to focus on “When will these things be?” (4) and the specific events that will occur. List Jesus’ explicit instructions (do this, be that, don’t do this, etc.) to the disciples and us in verses 5, 7, 9, 11, 14-16, 18, 21, 23, 28, 33, 35, 37. Is Jesus’ focus more on the events and timing of the events or on instructing His people how to respond to those events? What are some ways Christians can begin preparing our hearts to rightly respond to those events if they should occur in our lifetime?

8. Summarize verses 5-37 in one to two sentences. What do we call the branch of theology that deals with the end times and the return of Christ?

Homework

One of the themes of this passage is that false christs and false prophets will arise to deceive many and lead them astray. Make a list of five specific ways you can avoid being led astray by a false teacher. Begin implementing one of those ways this week.

Suggested Memory Verse

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
Mark 13:31

Tag: eschatology