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Word of Encouragement
Vol. IV, issue 16
Lasting Faith for the Last Days, Pt. 1
Some in and out of the church ask if we are living
in the last days. The NT Scriptures we are about to consider say
emphatically “Yes! we are living in the last
days” (read particularly Peter's Pentecost sermon in Acts
2:16ff). The question that should be asked is not whether we are
living in the Last Days, but rather, “Knowing we living in the Last
Days, how then should we live?” The study of eschatology in
scripture is not so much about 'when Jesus will return',
in fact that is exactly what Jesus does not want to teach us (cf. Matt.
24). Rather, eschatology (or, literally "the study of last
things") in Scripture is about what Jesus did when he came the first
time in inaugurating his Kingdom here on earth. Eschatology in
Scripture is about the grace that was revealed in Jesus' preaching of the
Kingdom and the Kingdom manifesting itself here on earth. As well,
eschatology is also about the grace, as well as judgment that will be
revealed when his Kingdom is fully realized when he returns!
Eschatology is not trying to fancifully and creatively try and understand
'when' Jesus will return, but it is about a way of life for Christians
until he does return. Eschatology in scripture is concerned with
teaching us an 'eschatological faith'. That is, a faith that is ever
looking to Christ for salvation, living obediently out of gratitude here in
the last days, while awaiting his return at any time! It is living by
faith as Paul describes in Philippians 3:20-21. We are citizens of
heaven, while we await a Savior from there.
How is biblical eschatology related to the Kingdom of God?
When Jesus cast out demons, he said the Kingdom of God had
come! (Mt. 12:28ff); when Jesus healed men of sicknesses, he was beginning
the restoration of all creation (Mt. 8-9); when he spoke the Word of power
in his preaching, he declared that men repent for the Kingdom of God had
come and was also coming (Mt. 3:1-17; Mk. 1). Jesus declared that the
last days, or the beginning of the renewal of all things had dawned, or
begun in his coming. But there was also some confusion! (as there is still much confusion today!) John the
Baptist had preached that Messiah would come and set up his Kingdom.
John preached that he would gather to himself those who repented, but the the others his winnowing fork was in his hand and he
would remove the chaff and destroy it (Matt. 3). Messiah was to
preach the good news to the poor, bring salvation to the captives, healing
to the sick, and sight to the blind, and bring in the terrible Day of the
LORD (Is. 61; cf. Luke 4:18). However, Jesus' Kingdom came in an
unexpected way. He brought salvation, preached good news, gathered to
himself those who repented, released the captives,
but the Day of the LORD was to come at a later time. In other words,
Christ's Kingdom came in two modes. It began to come into the present
age with the coming of Jesus, particularly when he accomplished his life,
death, resurrection and ascension and sent forth his Spirit who is called
the "firstfruits" or "downpayment" of what is to come. The Kingdom
will come again when Jesus will judge the world. This interim period,
called the "last days" is the period when Christ builds his
Church and prepares his bride for himself in purity and holiness, while
allowing men to repent of their sins and turn to the Living God avoiding
the imminent coming wrath!
Biblical eschatology is about how the Kingdom of God came
in Jesus Christ, but will come fully in the future. That is why the
Apostle Paul says that "Now is the Day of Salvation" (2 Cor. 6:1,2). It is the
time of hope as his people await our Living Hope to return (1 Peter
1). In the next few WOEs, I will focus on
themes in Biblical eschatology. These
short studies will focus on the attitude of faith and life that the
believer ought to have in light of Christ’s First Coming and with a
view to His Second Coming to be with his people
and to judge the world. This study
will focus our attention on what is
eschatological living and a faith that obediently awaits the return of our
Great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.
This faith is possible because of the Holy Spirit who lives within
us because of Christ’s humiliation and exaltation on behalf of his people. In the following scripture verses we are
about to read, notice that something new has happened in “these Last
Days because of Christ’s work on our behalf.” Let us
begin by reading 1 Peter. Notice the fact that Christ's Kingdom has
come, yet has yet to fully come!
1 Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his
great mercy we have been born anew to a living hope through the
resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and to an inheritance which
is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by
God's power are guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed
in the last time.
Peter teaches us that we have already been born anew,
yet there is much more to be revealed in the last time (Peter uses
"last time" and "last days" interchangeably). Our
full salvation, inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading,
is a NOW-Reality, but we await for Jesus to return
for it to be completely fulfilled. This hope keeps us focused on
Jesus, the Author and Pioneer of our faith! This hope is a hope in
the last days as we await the imminent and glorious return of our Lord
Jesus, when we shall see him face to face! It is interesting to note
in verse 5 (above) that there "has been a salvation revealed"
(past tense), and that same salvation "has yet to be revealed"
(future tense). A lasting faith for the last days begins with a
strong, extraspective (out-of-self-focused-faith)
in Jesus Christ. He is the Savior of sinners. This is a reality
NOW! But we await this reality to be fully revealed. As 1 John
says, we know we are children of God, but we do not know what we will fully
be when we see him as he is. All who have this hope purifies himself as he is pure (1 John 3:2-3).
We should keep in mind that in speaking of
eschatological living we have in mind what the Apostle Peter describes as
“now” in his epistle. Notice as you read 1 Peter
how he speaks of the "NOW" as well as the "NOT YET":
1 Peter 1:6-“now you have to suffer various trials”;
1:8- “you do not now see him but you believe in him”;
1:12- “the things which have now been announced to you”;
2:10- “now you are God’s people…now you
have received mercy from God”; 2:25- “now you have
returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls”. But Peter also teaches us of what is yet
to come: 1:5- “a salvation ready to be revealed in the last
time”; 1:7- “your faith may prove real at the revelation of
Jesus Christ for his honor and glory”; 1:13- “set your hope fully
on the grace that is coming to you at the revelation of Jesus
Christ.” Peter is saying that
Christ has been manifested in his Person and Work at the end of the times
for our sakes (already) 1:20; but he will be manifested again to reward his
people for their faith with an unfading crown of glory (not yet) 5:4. Also, if our salvation has been
accomplished in these last days, how should we respond to suffering? Notice, that although now we suffer; the
Lord has an end, an eschatology he wants us to look to by faith to give us hope
now: 4:9- “But the end of all things
is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers”; 5:10-
“And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace,
who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore,
establish, and strengthen you.”
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Word of Encouragement
Vol. IV, issue 17
Lasting Faith for the Last Days, Pt. 2
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Ephesians 1:19-21-
"[I pray that you may know] his incomparably great power for us who
believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which
he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his
right hand in heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and
dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age
but also in the age to come."
We should keep in mind that in speaking of
eschatological living and faith we have in mind what the Apostle Paul calls
being “in Christ” throughout his letters, that is being seated with
Christ in the heavenlies now; our life begin
hidden in Christ. The eschatological
focus of Paul, as well as all of the NT writers is that Christ’s
work has been accomplished in his life, death, resurrection, and ascension. This means that we are already now
realizing the promises of our salvation by the application of His
Spirit as Paul teaches in Ephesians 1:3-14. We are living in the Last Days with a
view to the Last Day. We are
presently saved and the Devil has been defeated (Heb. 2:14-18), but we will be
ultimately saved and the Devil will ultimately be defeated when Christ
returns and all things will be restored (cf. Rev. 19-20).
Perhaps this can be understood more
clearly in light of the Biblical teaching of two ages: this age
and the age to come- "This age", or "the present
age" is described and characterized by the sin, the fall,
death, and the devil's dominion over the age (that is why Paul calls
the devil the "god of this age" in 2 Cor.
4:4). "The age to come“ or the
"future age" is described as the time of the reign of Christ, the
completion of his work, the sending forth of His Holy Spirit. The
"age to come", "future age", or "Age of the
Spirit" has intruded upon the present age in the coming of Christ and
His Kingdom. The "Age of the Spirit" has dawned in the
present age, as the present age passes away (1 John 2:15-17). These two
ages overlap when Jesus came into this world to redeem sinners, defeat the
devil in his life and death, and to undo what Adam did.
Because these two ages overlap, Christians presently
experience joy, but we also experience persecution; we experience
strength from the Spirit, but also experience weakness; we have the
life of Christ within, but unless Christ returns first, we will die
and our bodies return to dust; we have confidence of being renewed,
but we still suffer. The overlapping of the present age characterized
by sin, death, and devil, and the age to come with the dawn of a new
creation, a new age, and we as new creations experience the conflict of
these two ages as we live by the Spirit each day of our lives. In
light of these two ages, Paul tells us to live putting on the full armor of
God so that we might be able to stand upon Christ's victorious
resurrection, living by His powerful Spirit, so that we might continue to
journey in the present age, even though we know we are citizens of the age
to come (cf. Philippians 3:20,21). Our hope
is that when Christ returns the present age will be completely in the past
and we will live fully in the Age to Come, or the New Heavens and New Earth
in the very presence of the Living God. Then there will be no more
persecution, conflict, death, suffering, or an sin
whatsoever. From all of the pain we have experienced in the overlap
of the two ages, God will wipe our tears from our eyes as he promises in
Revelation 21:1-5.
Exercise: Contrast "This age” or “the
present age” (sometimes translated “this world” but
better translated “this age”) as it is described in Mt.
12:32; Rom. 12:2; 1 Cor. 1:20; Gal. 1:4, with
“that age” or “the future age” or “the age to
come” described in Mt. 12:32; Luke 18:30; 20:35; Eph. 2:7; Heb.
6:5.
This explains the conflict as well as the joy in the
Christian life between the First Coming of Jesus and his completed work on
our behalf and our living in the Age of the Spirit as the Church with
the indwelling Spirit of which was spoken by the prophets Jeremiah
(31:31-34) and Joel (2:28ff) (which shows that the two ages are not
only a NT concept). This teaching
includes the real tension of being a true believer, passing from death to
life, yet still mortifying, or dying to our sin. In other words, this helps to understand
the way the Apostle Paul teaches the real tension between offering our bodies
to our new LORD (and Master) who is Christ, opposed to our old
lords (and masters) who were sin and the devil. Paul begins in Romans speaking of
Justification by faith in chapter four. He proceeds to establish the
once and for all character of our justification as Christ having reconciled
God to us and therefore we have peace with God in Romans chapter five. In addition, we are united with Christ in
his death, burial and resurrection in chapter six, but we still struggle
with real sin in this life according to chapter seven (cf. with the
conflict between the flesh and the Spirit in Gal. 5:17-18). However,
our hope is in chapter eight where we clearly see that although there is a
tension between this present age and the age to come, nothing can separate
us from the love of God in Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:28ff), because he who began
a work in us if faithful to bring us into his presence (Phil. 1:6).
Practically, this means that we should have an
eschatological faith. This present
age is characterized by walking by sight, but as partakers and citizens of
the 'Age to come" we must learn by grace to walk by faith. This is an eschatological faith that is
centered on the Person and work of Christ in our behalf as we look by
faith to his return. Jesus is the Author, better the Pioneer and
Perfecter of our faith. He is our champion
and all of his blessings by the Spirit are a reality NOW (Heb. 12:1ff; cf.
1 Peter)! In Hebrews 11, the
“cloud of witnesses” who looked to the
promises of God by faith had an eschatological faith, that is why they are
effective witnesses to us. This is
our great hope and a Christian life lived not by sight, but by faith in the
promises of God because of his accomplishment in Christ, the down-payment
of the Spirit in our lives, and the ability to live according to God’s
commandments, with an eschatological faith that Christ will return for us
on the Last Day.
Again, we live in the Age of the Spirit,
that is in the Last Days prior to the Last Day when Christ will come
and judge the wicked and renew all things.
The believer’s hope and life should be lived with this
constantly in mind. It is an
eschatological faith that does not look within, but looks to Christ and his
righteousness, sanctification and redemption (1 Cor.
1:30). It is an eschatological faith that knows
God is faithful and as he has fulfilled his promises in the past, so he
will ultimately deliver us and bring us into his presence forever! What great hope for the Christian! Although we do not see him, we love him
with an eschatological faith- - a faith that looks to his work on our
behalf because he first loved us and looks constantly for his return,
working now to please him in the calling which he has given us to perform
in this life.
Word of Encouragement
Vol. IV, Issue 18
A Lasting Faith for the Last Days, Pt. 3
Another way of understanding our living by faith in
the last days is to consider how the Book of Hebrews teaches us as a church
to think eschatologically (that is a church that
understands it lives in the last days between the time of Jesus' first
coming in grace and his second and final coming to judge the world and
renew all creation). In Hebrews
4, the author tells us that we can rest in Christ’s work on our
behalf NOW, but the author encourages us to persevere by His grace in the
covenant community in order to enter into God’s ultimate
rest. Hebrews 4:3 says: "Now we who have believed
enter that rest..." In the context, the contrast is between Israel
entering into their physical rest in Canaan by
faith (some did not enter in by faith), and we who enter into
'salvation-rest' by faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ.
The author of Hebrews wants us to continuously fix our
eyes on Jesus, the Author and Pioneer of our faith that has gone before us
to be with the Heavenly Father. The author of Hebrews wants us
to continue to persevere by his grace and strength, while resting in Christ
Jesus' completed and perfect work on our behalf! He wants us as the
children of God to be reminded that just as good works are characteristics
of a true and saving faith, so perseverance is a
characteristic of faith as well. As children of the Living God
who are citizens of heaven, we are to fix our eyes on Jesus who sat down at
the right hand of the throne of God (Heb. 12:2-3). No matter what your
challenge or difficulty today, you can persevere by faith, by fixing your
eyes on He who completed his work on your behalf, Who is ever interceding
for you (Heb. 7:25), Who will never leave you nor forsake you (Heb. 13:5),
and Who is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Heb. 13:8)! His
victory and strength is our encouragement as well as our endurance in
the Chrisitian race!
In the Book of Hebrews we are taught to think like
pilgrims, sojourners who have entered into our rest by faith in Jesus, but
to remember at the same time that we have an eternal city built by God, and
have yet to fully enter the Heavenly City described in chapter 12
(12:22-29). Our High Priest has
entered the Most Holy Place in
heaven and has made atonement for our sins- - NOW, according to chapters
7-9. We have been released from the
power of death and the devil (Heb. 4:16-18)
and have access to God, but we still await the triumphant return of our
High Priest. The teaching of
Hebrews is to help us to think eschatologically
as a pilgrim people in the wilderness, a people on the way that have yet to
arrive, a holy nation and people of God (1 Pet. 2:5ff). Our salvation has been accomplished but
we are awaiting the day when we enter into the
full and glorious presence of the Lord.
Sin no longer has dominion, but it still remains in us. We have passed from death to life NOW- -
but we still await to fully pass from the
remaining elements of death to the full eternal state.
The author of Hebrews completes the book with the greatest
encouragement imaginable for those who are sinners, yet at the same time
are citizens of the Heavenly City who
still must persevere in the difficult wilderness of suffering found in this
fallen world. He says: "May the God of peace, who through the blood
of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that
great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing
his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus
Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever.
Amen."
Word of Encouragement
Vol. IV, Issue 19
A Lasting Faith for the Last Days, Pt. 4
Review: The question that
should be asked by Christians today is not whether we are living in the Last Days (we are!
according to Acts 2:16ff), but rather, “Knowing we are living in the
Last Days, how should we then live?” The study of
eschatology in scripture is not about 'when Jesus will return', in fact that is exactly what Jesus does not
want to teach us (cf. Matt. 24). Rather, eschatology (or, literally "the
study of last things") in Scripture is about what Jesus did when he
came the first time in inaugurating his Kingdom here on earth.
Further, eschatology in Scripture is about the grace that was revealed in
Jesus' preaching of the Kingdom and the Kingdom manifesting itself here on
earth; eschatology is also about the grace, as well as judgment that will
be revealed when his Kingdom is fully realized when he returns!
Eschatology is not trying to fancifully and creatively try and understand
'when' Jesus will return, but it is about a way of life for Christians
until he does return. Eschatology in scripture is concerned with
teaching us an 'eschatological faith'. That is, a faith that is ever
looking to Christ for salvation, living obediently out of gratitude here in
the last days NOW, while awaiting his return at any time! It is
living by faith as Paul describes in Philippians 3:20-21. We are
citizens of heaven, while we await a Savior from there.
What kind of identity do we have as the people of the
Living God living in the last days? In other words, how does Biblical
eschatology form, as well as inform our identity? We have an
eschatological identity as the People of God that is revealed to us NOW
because of the completed work of Christ in his humiliation and
exaltation. What is our
eschatological identity as a people of God and what does it mean to be a
holy people, consecrated to the LORD in these Last Days? Our eschatological identity as the People
of God is formed in several ways.
(1) Preaching is eschatological. When we hear the sermon preached on the
Lord’s Day, the pastor stands in the stead of Christ proclaiming what
God has done in Christ's completed work and the hope of the imminent return
of our savior. When he preaches this
is eschatological because he declares to us the gospel of the Lord
Jesus Christ and how he has conquered death, hell and the devil on our
behalf, that we have been forgiven of our sins, and that we can live by
faith in the power of the Holy Spirit as we await His return. This is eschatological because the hope
of Christ’s return in the future interprets our present circumstances
in his completed work (1 Peter 1:3-9), and it points us forward by
faith to think on the day when Christ will preach and teach us himself in Paradise in
the presence of God. Preaching
teaches us to hear and to follow the risen Jesus Christ NOW, as we
patiently, expectantly, and alertly await his return for us!
(2) Publicly joining a faithful congregation of
believers is eschatological. It
is a confession before men, publicly recognizing our sins, submitting
to one another out of love for Christ, especially his elders, or undershepherds who are under Christ's
authority, and showing forth in the visible church that we are identified
and confessing members of the Kingdom of God in
this present age. This is
eschatological because by faith in Christ’s righteousness alone, our
names are publicly written down in the book of church membership, but we
look forward to the Last Day when our names will be publicly displayed as
written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, and how Christ
Himself will confess us publicly before God, men, and a
heavenly host of angels.
(3) Partaking in the Lord’s Supper is
eschatological. The Lord's
Supper points us back to the hope of Christ’s body and blood
that has cleansed us from our unrighteousness and through His Spirit
we sup with Christ's real and spiritual presence, invisibly by faith- -NOW, as
we await a day in Paradise when
we will eat this covenantal meal with Christ in the presence of
God. Blessed are all of those who are invited to
the Great Feast where we will be privileged to dine with
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the glorified and physical presence of
our Lord Jesus, the One who has saved us from our sins! Jesus
uses the Lord's Supper by His Spirit to nourish and strengthen us in our perserverance and faith as we await our full salvation
to be revealed and we shall se Him as He is!
(4) Worship is eschatological. We praise
God NOW for his word and deed as we think on the salvation he has
wrought in Christ in the past, as well as the help and provision he
supplies to us each and every day of our lives. In our worship
we cry “Come, Lord Jesus” as we await
our Savior’s appearing. This points us forward by faith to consider the day when
we will worship the Lord God day and night in his presence.
These are just a few of the eschatological activities we
do as Christians that form and inform our eschatological identity as
we await as pilgrim people for the Lord to come and restore all
things. This is our hope and our
confidence NOW as we await what God has
promised. As pilgrims and sojourners
(see previous studies on Hebrews and 1 Peter), we live a life in the Age of
the Spirit, not by sight but by faith, knowing God is faithful to
accomplish all things on our behalf.
As the people of the Living God, we have such a blessing
living in this Age since Jesus has been resurrected. Never forget the importance, as well as
the privilege of getting to hear a preacher preach to you in Christ's
stead. Remind yourself what is
happening is a rich and rewarding experience whereby Christ, by His Spirit,
through his Word spoken by a 'jar-of-clay-imperfect-preacher', is
communicating his instruction to you!
Remember the importance of joining with other believers publicly and
submitting to one other in Christ's church as Paul admonishes us to do in
Ephesians 5-6. Remember the
privilege of partaking and feeding spiritually, yet really and truly on
Christ in the Lord's Supper- -what an awesome advantage we have as
believers to receive it by faith (just as we do the Word of God when
preached). Further, remember that
when we worship we are taking part of what the heavenly host do presently,
and we are looking forward to a day when we shall get to praise Christ
having a greater knowledge of Him than we do now (cf. 1 Cor.
13:9ff; 1 John 3:1-5). Praise God
for all of our eschatological privileges because we are his people. Let us be different in this present age,
because we belong to the Age to Come!
Word of Encouragement
Vol. IV, Issue 20
A Lasting Faith for the Last Days, Pt. 5
Before we consider the attitudes that we ought to have
in the Last Days, let us consider some of the more difficult passages
concerning eschatology or the Last Days revealed in Scripture. We
must all admit, we have some built-in
fancy for being attracted by the more difficult passages concerning
the last days and what is to happen with regard to the future of the
world. (I often shudder to think that more ink has been spilled in
futile speculation of 'when', 'where', and 'how' Jesus will return, rather
than focusing on the JESUS who knows when, where, and how he will return
and who has not chosen to reveal it to us. It is sad (frightening?) to
think that possibly we have spent more time as the people of God
'speculating' about eschatology and the last days, rather than
carefully handling Scripture and LIVING ESCHATOLOGICALLY -- that is,
living by faith with a true hope and love for HIS appearing).
Though we desire to know more of Scripture, and our
intentions are good, we get bogged down in the details and fail to consider
the clear and encouraging teaching of such books as Daniel (particularly
chapters 7-12), Mark chapter 13, Matthew chapter 24, and the Book of
Revelation. We must resist the temptation to read into, or to be
preoccupied with that which God 'does not' reveal to us, and to make every
effort to understand that which he indeed 'does' reveal to us.
Remember Deuteronomy 29:29: 'The secret things belong to the LORD our God,
but the revealed things to us and our children." There
are some things about the future that we must admit will remain a mystery,
but what is clear and what will edify and build up the church NOW is what
we are to focus on in these books containing truth about the last days
living. Sadly, we divide in our churches over the unclear
portions of Scripture, even portions we do not truly understand, rather
than uniting upon that which is clearly revealed for us all. Imagine
if you will, the sadness and irony for Christ's church, with all of our
"charts of eschatology" that supposedly enlighten us, yet divide
us, that we miss the main point of what should unite us in the last
days! The warnings to watch together for the coming of the LORD Jesus
and to live our lives NOW in light of this imminent truth! With that
said, let's consider some of the more difficult passages of scripture
concerning the last days.
Remember
with Regard to Passages Concerning the Last Days: There
is an escalation or progressive view, not only of Christ’s Kingdom
coming into the world in this present age (1 Cor.
15:22-28; Mt. 12-13), but also there is an escalation or increase of
wickedness and ungodliness, comsummating or
ultimately coming to a conclusion in the overthrow of all evil, sin and
death (Rev. 6-19:18; Mk. 13; cf. with the increase of wickedness from the
first sin of Adam to Genesis 6: “All the thoughts and intents of
man’s heart were evil continually”).
It is a constant New Testament expectation that to the
extent to which the gospel of the cross is spread abroad, to that extent
the hostility of the world will be manifested as well. Christ is destined to be a rising and
falling for many, and to bring out into open the thoughts of many. HE has come into the world for judgment
that those who do not see may see and those who see may become blind (Mt. 21:44; Luke 2:34; John 3:19-21, 8:39; Rom. 9:32,33; 1 Cor. 1:23; Heb. 4:12).
In the last days, the days that precede the return of Christ, the
wickedness of human beings will rise to a fearful level. The days of Noah will return. Lust, sensual pleasures, lawlessness,
greed, unbelief, pride, mockery, and slander will erupt in fearful ways
(Mt. 24:37ff; Luke 17:26ff; 2 Tim. 3:1; 2 Pet. 3:3; Jude 18).
This should be kept in mind when reading the
descriptions that Jesus and the Apostles write concerning the Last
Days. This means that although we live in the power of the Spirit in
this present age, and our hope is set on the Age to come to be revealed
when Christ returns, we suffer persecution. In fact, the great
expectation of every Christian ought to be a life of persecution.
Paul says to Timothy: "Those who want to live a godly life in Christ
Jesus will suffer persecution"- 2 Tim. 3:12. God is gracious and
allows us to have time of peace and creaturely comforts here in this present age that make it somewhat easier.
However, we should never place our trust in these "things",
because they are never guaranteed to us. As American Christians who
do not see as much persecution as the rest of our brothers and sisters in
the world, ought to daily remind ourselves of this truth!
In our desire to understand eschatological portions
of the Bible, we must keep in mind not to get too bogged down with the
details, but to “hear” the emphasis of Christ in difficult
passages such as Mt. 24 and Mk. 13 and in the Book of Revelation. These Scriptures are given for our encouragement,
may this important truth be not overlooked.
May we consider the clarity of what is written in these passages and
pray for patience and understanding by the Spirit, approaching any
difficult portion of Scripture with humility, as a child comes to their father. May we
thank Christ for the Spirit’s gifts to the Church in teachers who can
help us to better understand these passages. Although there can be some difficulties
with understanding these passages, we should understand what is clear about
them. These passages are not meant
for our calculation on Christ’s return, but for our consideration of
the attitude that we should have until he returns.
Be alert or watch and be sober- Mt.
24:42- Mt. Olivet discourse; Mt. 25:13- parable of the ten virgins; Mk.
13:9; 13:33-34, 35, 37- In Mark’s account of the apocalyptic Olivet
discourse, he tells his disciples and us to “watch” five
times! Jesus ends with a clear
message of what he wants his disciples to understand however much we or
they misunderstand Jesus’ eschatology in Mk. 13: "Watch therefore, for you do not know
when the master of the house is coming -- in the evening, at midnight, at
the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning --lest, coming suddenly, he
find you sleeping. And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!"
The focus of our eschatological
faith as the people of the Living God ought to be fixed upon Jesus Christ
our Savior and King! We must learn from these somewhat difficult
passages concerning eschatology that Jesus teaches us to be alert,
sober, and to watch. Be alert as to who we are, who we serve, and
keep our focus on His imminent return for us. Our alertness,
soberness, watchfulness is increased in the faithful preaching of the
Word. In the preaching and teaching of the Word, we are reminded of
the shortness of this life and the greatness of the next life! We are
reminded of our weaknesses and His great strength on our behalf; we are
reminded that each day is a gift and we should use our time for his
glory. Paul says that we must make the most of our time, knowing the
days are evil. Paul reminds us that Today is
the Day of Salvation, the day of grace offered to repentant sinners (2 Cor. 6).
Let us pray that God, by His
Spirit will make us an expectant people. A people who hold on loosely
to the "things" of this present age, and a people who realize
that they are citizens of another Kingdom, the Kingdom of the Age to
Come. May we be diligent by His grace, to be serving him
wholeheartedly when he returns, working to build up his church, to seek
unity in his church and with his people, and may he not find us searching
the Scriptures in a futile manner for yet another eschatological
"chart of Jesus' return", but may he find us living with an
eschatological faith awaiting the Living Hope Who will renew all things and
bring glory to Himself! Amen.
Word of Encouragement
Vol. IV, Issue 21
A Lasting Faith for the Last Days, Pt. 6
"Armed for Eschatological Warfare"
As we learned in the last study, although the gospel
increases and expands throughout the world, the increase of wickedness also
grows in the last days (2 Tim. 3). As in the parable of the sower and the seeds, the Evil One is there to snatch up
the seeds that drop on the path as the Word of the Kingdom is proclaimed
(Matt. 13:18ff). Therefore, because we are united to Jesus Christ,
and we are called to bear his name, be witnesses to his Kingdom, and to
boldly march in his Power and Spirit, we must be aware of an enemy who is
scheming against us.
For this eschatological warfare in the last days, we
need the armor of God Christians
so that we may stand. That is, we must realize we are clothed in the
armor that is given to us by God when we are united to Christ. Paul
says in Ephesians 6:10-18 to be strong
in the LORD. That is, our battle, our warfare is not
against flesh and blood (cf. 2 Cor. 10:3-5), but
it is against the rulers, powers, and spiritual forces of evil in the
heavenly realms. Because we have been united to Jesus Christ by
faith, seated with him in the heavenly places, although our battle is
experienced by us in an earthly manner, it is also a battle "in the heavenlies". Dr. Sinclair
Ferguson writes: "The work of the Spirit in uniting us to Christ
brings the Christian life into an eschatological atmosphere. It
is lived out in the heavenly realms (Eph. 1:3; 2:6). But these
are also realms of eschatological conflict where the evil day is faced
(Eph. 6:12-13)."
('Holy Spirit'-IVP).
This eschatological warfare is a battle where
we stand grounded in the truth revealed to us in Scripture as our belt of
truth. It is a battle in which we stand with the breastplate of
Christ's righteousness that is given to us; we stand with in the peace of
the gospel, and with the helmet of salvation, using the Word of God as our
sword to stand firm by faith. In this battle, we are called to pray
continuously, ever depending on the grace, mercy and strength of
God to stand firm against the Evil One and his schemes. The
reality is that Paul says we can stand (Eph. 6:13-14) in this great
battle. That is, we are able to stand in this battle,
we do not have to give up or to bow our heads in despair and doubt.
When we are tempted by the Evil One, the one who hates us, we must remember
that we have been united to Jesus Christ, we have died to sin and to our
former master, and therefore Paul says 'stand firm' by faith in this
reality! Hold on and fight this battle, knowing that you have the
Divine Warrior who has conquered death, hell, and the devil, and stand upon
his victory won in his resurrection and ascension in these last days!
Our Divine and Gracious Warrior, the Living God, has worn this armor
himself (Is. 59:15-20)! It is "His" armor of strength which
he gives to us so that we may stand firm in His Name, by His grace!
We should also remember we fight together (Eph. 6:18). We do not
stand alone, but are part of Christ's body, and therefore we should take
courage that the gates of hell shall never prevail against his Church, his
people for whom he died! We should remember to pray for one another,
for some in the body are much weaker than others and although they are
dressed in God's armor, are strong in Lord, and have his powerful
might in Christ, they have a weak faith, a faith that has not fully
realized and seized hold of these truths. Therefore, they need others
who are standing firm, to help them to stand by His grace. Paul says
we must always stand in the confidence of our union with Christ, that no
temptation comes into our lives, except which is common to all humanity (1 Cor. 10:12-13).
And with each temptation by the Evil One, we know that we can stand, and we
know that God will not allow us to be tempted without providing a way
out. If you think you are standing, take heed, lest you fall.
That means, ever rely upon the grace and strength of the Lord Jesus and His
powerful Spirit to help you, never on anything you in
yourself can do. Always be ever mindful that you are in a warfare, yet you are completely clothed with God's
armor, and you can indeed, by faith, "be strong in the Lord and in the
might of His power"!
Whatever your battle today, whatever your
discouragement, whatever the temptation that continually seems to beset
you, know who you are because of Jesus Christ, and in the knowledge of who
you are, clothed in His righteousness and armor, stand firm! Pray for
others as well, that they may stand firm, and never forget that you are
never alone in the battle. Oh, and by the way, the battle has been
completely won by Jesus Christ the righteous! Stand firm and strong
in this reality! "Fear not, for I am with you," says your
God and Father.
Word of Encouragement
Vol. IV, Issue 22
A Lasting Faith for the Last Days, Pt. 7
'Eschatology and Difficult Daily Living in
Christ'
Jesus taught his people that as disciples we must learn
to put our hands to the plow and not look back, but to keep looking
forward in our daily walk. What is
implicit in this is that when difficult times come into our lives, it will
be easy to look back and reconsider our commitment to our Savior. Yet throughout Scripture, we are reminded
of the importance of ever looking forward as pilgrims, persevering by his
grace, no matter how tough times get!
We are reminded of Lot’s
wife who looked back rather than forward, and the forward-looking-faith of
her husband Lot who was depending on
God's promises of redemption. We
remember Israel in
the wilderness and their subsequent history revealed in Samuel and Kings,
as they forgot what they had “seen and heard”- -they forgot what God had done for
them in their redemption because times got too tough (Dt. 4). These serve as reminders that in this
world the people of God will experience pain, trials, and sufferings, but
we are to ever rest in the grip of our Savior, while keeping our eyes fixed
on Him.
As the people of the Living God, we must keep in mind
that in this age we will have tribulation, but Christ has overcome
(John 16). The Apostle Paul told Timothy in his final letter that
those who want to live a godly life will suffer persecution (2 Tim. 3:12). 1 Peter 4:12-13 says, “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal
which comes upon you to prove you, as though something strange were
happening to you. But rejoice in so far as you share Christ's
sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is
revealed.”
Remember that as aliens and strangers here in this
world we are only guaranteed suffering. If God should see fit to give us joy and
peace in our lives now and then, we should thank him because we are not of
this world. Remember in the
difficult, and oftentimes monotonous, day after day living in our jobs
and our callings, that we want to be faithful by
his grace, and know that there is truly more than just this life. Remember God’s promises
when you go through trials or suffer, and when it does not
seem that God is with you.
Remember the promises made to Adam and Eve (Gen.
3), to Abraham and to his Seed (Gen. 17:7), to Moses (Ex. 6:7; Dt. 29:13), and to David (2 Sam. 7:24ff)- - these have been fulfilled according to Jer. 31:1,33; Ezek. 37:23, 36:28 (cf. Acts 2; 7).
And because we live in the Last Days and have a down payment of the
Holy Spirit (2 Cor. 1:20ff), we know
that all of God’s promises will be fully be fulfilled when
Christ returns for those awaiting his return. All of God’s promises are
“yes” and “amen” in Christ Jesus NOW- - we just
await the full restoration of all things in Christ. Do not worry
about your life, because He Who has promised is able to keep his
promises and to keep you until the Day he returns. You know who you have believed in and he
is able…He has begun a new work in you and will complete
it…Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever…faith is
truly the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen…therefore
we walk by faith and not by sight as we await his return. This is true eschatology.
How many times in this life do we want to give up? How many times do we pray for
perseverance to continue the race before us? Pray that we be faithful and watchful as
we await his appearing. God has called us to jobs, to work and be
faithful, and to not be over-realized in our eschatology. To be over-realized in our eschatology
means to expect ALL of the blessings of heaven NOW, forgetting that
although the present age of sin, death and suffering is passing away, it
will not be completely abolished until Christ returns again.
Therefore, because there is an overlap of the present age and the Age to
Come, there is suffering, while at the same time peace in Jesus Christ!
We must avoid an over-realized eschatology and remember
that we will suffer and be persecuted, and we must try to avoid
expecting all the joy and the peace of paradise NOW (we will enjoy the
peace and joy of the Spirit now, but even this is a foretaste of
what is to come)! We see an
unhealthy over-realized eschatology in our Christian friends who want
riches and fame, healing, and no suffering- -NOW! We should avoid such a non-Biblical
attitude because it will lead to doubt, disbelief, and even more pain
because we haven't accurately considered the cost of following Jesus. An over-realized eschatology is
ultimately a misunderstanding of our life in the Kingdom. Yes, we have been given special
blessings NOW like adoption, being made priests of God, we
are a holy nation of kings, but we want to remember that Jesus’
Kingdom is not of this world, and therefore until he returns we are
still a pilgrim people of kings who live presently live in tents until
we receive our full inheritance in the New Heavens and New Earth in the Age
to Come.
Even though we know that now we may suffer and be abused
and cheated as disciples of Christ, nevertheless what a privilege that we
have been called to live a life like Christ our LORD. This may be the “hard
teaching” of eschatology, or of discipleship according to Jesus in
the Last Days, but his promises still stand, His Word is
sure, and He establishes us not by might, nor by power, but by
His Spirit. This helps us to have a
faith that is forward looking when Christ himself will judge the wicked and
those who have abused us and also those who abused him! Our declaration to sinners and fools in
these last days is: "Beware you wicked! Repent for the Day of the LORD is
near! Come to the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation!" The tension is real, we truly live in the
Kingdom of God NOW,
but we await for all the benefits of this eternal
inheritance to be revealed in the Last Day.
Word of Encouragement
Vol. IV, Issue 23
A Lasting Faith for the Last Days, Pt. 8
'An Eschatological Prayer for Help in Difficult
Daily Living'
The following is an anonymous prayer from a brother in
Christ who lived in the 17th century. Pray this prayer in light of
the last study on difficult daily living in Christ which we will all
experience from time to time. Remember not to be
"over-realized" in your eschatology, or to expect all of the
Kingdom blessings NOW, without also experiencing the difficulties, dangers,
and disrespect that may come your way because of your union with the Living
Christ (Matt. 5:11-12; cf. 2 Tim. 2:12). Nieither
be "under-realized" in your eschatology, thinking too lowly of
yourself, lacking confidence in your struggle against the world, the flesh,
and the devil, because you have been seized, apprehended, gripped by God's
grace, united to Jesus Christ, given a portion, or downpayment
of his Spirit, so that you do have the power to die to sin and the
"old man" and live unto Christ (back in the day, this was termed
"mortification" and "vivification"; cf. Romans
6:3ff). Over-realized eschatology wants all of God's Kingdom
blessings NOW, while under-realized eschatology communicates a
"dirty sinner", kind of "worm theology",
that often seems without any present hope in the Spirit! We pray
for balanced living in these last days, or better, we pray for an
eschatological way of understanding our living, our pilgrim journey, as
that which is focused back on the finished work of Christ on our behalf,
our firm standing in Him as our righteous, sanctification and redemption,
and our great and Living Hope Who will return for us when we least expect
it! Let us remember that no matter the situation, HE will never leave
us, nor forsake us!
An Eschatological Prayer
Thou Great Three-One,
Author of all blessings I enjoy,
of all I hope for,
Thou hast taught me
that neither the experience of present evils,
nor the remembrances of former sins,
nor the remonstrances of
friends,
will or can affect a sinner's heart,
except you vouchsafe to reveal your grace
and quicken the dead in sin
by the
effectual working of your Spirit's power.
You have shown me
that the sensible effusions of divine love
in the soul are superior to and distinct from
bodily health,
and that often times spiritual comforts are
at their highest when physical well-being is
at its
lowest.
You have given me the ordinance of song
as a means of grace;
Fit me to bear my part in that music ever new,
which elect angels and saints made perfect
now sing
before your throne and before the Lamb.
I bless you for tempering every distress with joy;
too much of the former might weigh me down,
too much of the latter might puff me up;
You are wise to give me a taste of both.
I love you
for giving me clusters of grapes
in the wilderness,
and drops of heavenly wine
that set
me longing to have my fill.
Apart from you I quickly die,
bereft of you I starve,
far from you I thirst and droop;
But you are all I need.
Let me continually grasp the promise,
'I will leave your nor forsake you'."
Word of Encouragement
Vol. IV, Issue 24
A Lasting Faith for the Last Days, Pt. 9
Hebrews 10:35 - 11:6 (ESV) 35 Therefore
do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. 36 For
you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of
God you may receive what is promised. 37 For, "Yet a
little while, and the coming one will come and will not delay; 38 but
my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has
no pleasure in him." 39 But we are not of those who
shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve
their souls. 11:1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for,
the conviction of things not seen. 2 For by it the people of old
received their commendation. 3 By faith we understand that the
universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made
out of things that are visible...6 And without faith it is
impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe
that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
-----------------------------------------------------------
According the verses above in Hebrews
10:35-11:6, those united to Jesus Christ have a persevering faith
that is ever looking back to the completed work of Christ, experiencing
presently the power of the Holy Spirit daily in their lives, and are
seeking the great reward that is to come when our King and Savior returns
for us! We want to remember from our previous study that Biblical
eschatology is not so much about finding the future in the present
(that is, seeking after a knowledge of when and where Jesus will return),
but it's about having the future find us in the present (that is,
informing and strengthening us in our faith, and helping us to persevere
each day by his grace, looking forward to our eternal inheritance in his
presence! In light of Hebrews 10 and 11, there are a few implications
that we ought to consider.
First of all, we must learn to lose our rights in this
world, because our “Kingdom rights” are no good in this fallen world. Our great "abiding possession"
and our citizenship are in heaven (Heb.10:34; cf. Phil. 3:20-21). We should not presume to think we have
any rights at all here in this present age, when we consider that our LORD
himself, the Great King and LORD over heaven and earth did not try to
assert his rights over others. He
teaches us to turn the other cheek as well and to forgive those who
mistreat us and abuse us- - it is God’s to avenge us (cf. Hebrews 10:30-34)! Knowing
that now we may suffer and be abused and cheated, but what a privilege that
we have been called to live a life like Christ our LORD. This is the “hard teaching”
of eschatology, of discipleship according to Jesus, but his promises still stand
and this is established not by might, nor by power, but by His Spirit. This helps us to have a faith that is
forward looking when Christ himself will judge the wicked and those who
have abused us and also those who abused him! We proclaim to others
in the importance of "Repent for the Day of the LORD is
near"! The tension is real, we
truly have an abiding possession and are citizens in the Kingdom of God now,
but we await for all the benefits of this eternal
inheritance to be revealed on the Last Day.
Secondly, we should remind ourselves that
waiting on Christ’s return does not mean packing a bag and sitting at
the side of the road awaiting his return (like some poor souls have done in
the past who have had someone predict Jesus' return and some of the
misguided folk literally sell all that they own, all that the Lord has
provided for them during their journey here. Some have charged up
credit cards, thinking that they would never get the billing statement from
their creditors because Armageddon would burn it up.
This sadness has happened in America as
recently as 1994).
“Wait upon the LORD,” the Psalmist
says. This does not mean that to
wait means to do nothing but “Christian activity” or
“Christian ministry.” He
calls as many to secular tasks as he does "full-time service" in
the church. Both are vocations, or
callings to be accomplished under Christ our head. Neither is
greater than the other in significance to the LORD. Waiting upon the LORD means being
faithful and ready to do Christ’s work in whatever area he has called
you no matter how boring, how monotonous, or how tiring it may seem to
you. Christ’s parable of the
faithful steward in Matthew 24 is a steward, or servant who is
faithful in doing the job Christ has called him to do while
he perseveres in this present age by an eschatological faith.
Waiting on the LORD by faith in the Book of Hebrews
is describing a resting in the peace we have with our Creator and
God, but it does not mean just doing nothing. It means being faithful by faith no matter how much
we do not feel like it, and how difficult the circumstances may be. It means getting up another Monday
morning to go into our jobs which can sometimes feel meaningless; it means
loving our brothers and our wives, as Christ loved the Church; it means
loving our enemies and those who use and despise us just one more day;
it means being faithful whether we ever receive recognition or praise of
men ever in our lives! Whether or
not anyone ever recognizes our faith, the LORD is watching, his eyes are on
all people and he will reward you for your faithfulness. In fact, he will give you the grace and
perseverance to make it another day.
Whatever you pain or your suffering, hang in there, the LORD is faithful! This is the teaching of Biblical
eschatology!
So
what are we waiting for NOW? We are ultimately waiting to be brought
back into the Garden, into Paradise, in
the Presence of God, released eternally from our sins and from death, hell,
and the Devil, and into the wide open and inviting arms of our Lord
Jesus. Where we were formerly kept out of the presence of God
and from eating of the Tree of Life by two cherubim who held swords of fire
and judgment, soon we shall be greeted by a heavenly host of angels. On the Last Day when Jesus stands upon
the earth, the angels will greet us with good news in the same way as
the Apostles were greeted at the tomb of the resurrection! Rather than hearing “He is not
here,” as the apostles heard at the tomb, we will hear “He is here- - Blessed are all
those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.” And our Lord will say “Well done my
good and faithful servants!”
In Gen. 3:23,24- The LORD drove
Adam and Eve from the Garden of God.
In Revelation 21:3 we hear the wonderful news of “Behold, the
dwelling of God is with man!”
Revelation 22:14 says
“Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right
to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the
gates.” “Come, Lord
Jesus,” that is our true eschatology in the Christian life.
We can enter God’s presence through the blood
of Christ taught to us in the Book of Hebrews (Heb. 10:19-23ff), so let us hold
fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised
is faithful. Let us also consider how to stir up one another to love
and good works- - not neglecting to meet together (as some are in the habit
of doing), but encouraging one another- - all the more as you see the Day
drawing near. Remember what the
Apostle Paul said in 1 Cor. 15:58:
“Stand firm; let nothing move you. Always give yourselves to the work of the
Lord for you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”
End of Study on Biblical Eschatology
Click here for more study on Suffering and Eschatology from
the Book of Hebrews
FOR FURTHER READING ON "LIVING IN LIGHT OF
BIBLICAL ESCHATOLOGY"
John
Calvin, Book III- Institutes
of the Christian Religion
Herman
Bavinck- The Last Things
Anthony
Hoekema- The Bible and the Future
Herman
Ridderbos- Paul: An Outline of his Theology; The Coming of the Kingdom
R. C.
Sproul- The
Last Days According to Jesus
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