2 Peter 3:8-13 — 8 But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.
11 Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, 12 waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! 13 But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
Now as soon as I mentioned the word, eschatology, there are probably 3 general responses represented in this room: 1) Upon hearing it some of you began to spiritually salivate because this kind of study is very stimulating to your mind; 2) Others of you might be thinking—“Oh great; I didn’t really want to take a seminary class.” Granted it may seem like a classroom today at times, but we don’t have Sunday school currently at our church, so certainly we can bear with a couple weeks of teaching. I also completely understand and sympathize with some of that frustration regarding this topic since there are so many Christian scholars and pastors who differ on these things, so perhaps it has produced a serious confusion and maybe even a hopelessness that clarity can be gained in these matters. I personally understand your pain. I gave up studying these doctrines for years because I became unconvinced that God had revealed these doctrines clearly. However, I’m definitely convinced otherwise now; 3) The rest of you are probably somewhere in between a state of salivating and frustration.
Also, you may have personally experienced is that some in Christendom treat this topic of eschatology as everything, overemphasizing it as the most significant doctrine, whereas others treat it as inconsequential, minimizing it to the point of complete insignificance. Both of those perspectives are terribly wrong. While we would never want to call eschatology the most significant doctrine, neither would we want to consider the differences insignificant. This becomes clear once we consider the positions of the 3 main views regarding the millennial kingdom reign of Christ: Amillennialism puts forth that we are presently in the kingdom of Christ and that Rev. 20 describes the current time period which began when Christ was resurrected and ascended to the right hand of the Father. Postmillennialism says that the current age we live in is gradually being transformed into the kingdom, which will then transition into the eternal state. Obviously those first two views classify Christ’s reign as spiritual as he rules in men’s hearts through the regeneration of the Spirit. Lastly, Premillennialism calls our current time, since the ascension of Christ, the church age, and that this church age precedes the millennial kingdom, in which Christ will physically reign in Jerusalem at some point in the future. The undeniable conclusion of those summary statements is that because of the significant differences between them, 2 of the 3 groups must be dead wrong in their view and thus misinterpreting significant portions of Scripture!
Just to give you a heads up-This series will promote the view of Premillennialism. Therefore, it’s important to learn about and discuss these issues with others, but sadly, discussions of these doctrines have produced much sinful argumentation and pride because those who study it fail to link it to the ethical implications that the prophets and apostles employ. So all we have to do is go back to the questions we asked a couple weeks ago: Is our knowledge of Scripture conforming us to the image of Christ? Is the goal of growing in our understanding the producing of spiritual fruit? That same principle regarding Scriptural intake certainly applies to these doctrines. But why exactly are these things crucial to know? They greatly affect how we live now. Here are just a couple of those texts linking our current life with what is to come: James 5: 8 You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. 9 Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. (ESV) Then after teaching how death will ultimately be defeated in the end, Paul charges the believers in 1 Cor. 15: 58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. (ESV)
It’s certain that end times views have massive effects for our current living and thinking, so if we have a deficiency in those character qualities, part of the problem is that we are not thinking about the end rightly. May we long for His coming in such a way that makes us like him now!