Condensed Theology, Lecture 46, Eschatology Part 02

8/6/2019 Condensed Theology, Lecture 46, Eschatology Part 02

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Condensed Theology

A Primer in Systematic Theology


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Eschatology

What does the Bible teach aboutlast things?


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Review


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Review

Terminology


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Definition of Terms

Eschatology: The study of last things.

The Millennium: The one-thousand yearperiod referred to in Rev 20:2-7.

Premillennialism: Christ returns before thethousand years of Revelation 20, whichthousand years refer to the rule of Christ onthe earth before the earths glorification.


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Definition of Terms

The Millennium (continued)

Postmillennialism: Christ returns after thethousand years of Revelation 20, whichthousand years refer to the Christianization of

the world.


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Definition of Terms

The Millennium (continued)

Amillennialism: Christ returns after thethousand years of Revelation 20, whichthousand years refer to the other-worldly rule

of Christ that was inaugurated by hisresurrection/ascension. Thus Revelation 20is understood as depicting life between

Christs first and second advents.


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Definition of Terms The Millennium (continued)

Dispensational Premillennialism: Christreturns before the thousand years ofRevelation 20, which thousand years is a non-

figurative reference to the rule of Christ over arestored Israeli kingdom on the earth as theearth is before its glorification. The millenniumis distinctly Jewish, complete with the

celebration of national feasts, the reinstitutionof Temple worship, and the occupation of theancient land of Canaan.


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Definition of Terms The Rapture: This refers to the saints being caught up

together with Jesus in the clouds at the Second Comingof Christ. It is most often used by DispensationalPremillennialists to refer to a secret return of Jesusbefore his visible return prior to the millennium.

The Tribulation Period: This is a term used exclusively

by Dispensational Premillennialists to refer to theseventieth week of Daniels prophecy in Dan 9:24-27, aseven-year period of intense trial for the entire planet,which the raptured saints will not have to experience.Things will get intensely more difficult three-and-a-half

years into the Tribulation Period, when the Antichrist willbreak his pact with the Israeli nation, which will thenunleash the disasters described in Revelation 4ff.


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Review

Three Keys to UnderstandingEschatology


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Keys to UnderstandingEschatology

Eschatology is understandable.

Eschatology encapsulates the Biblesentire outlook.

Eschatology is understood in retrospect.


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The Structure ofEschatology


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Two Ages


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The Structure of Eschatology:Two Ages

The Bible understands history to unfold in twosuccessive ages: This present age

The age to come

Matt 12:32: Whoever speaks a word against the Son of

Man, it shall be forgiven him; but whoever speaksagainst the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, eitherin this age or in the age to come.

Mark 10:30: .but that he will receive a hundred times

as much now in the present age, houses and brothersand sisters and mothers and children and farms, alongwith persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life.


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The Structure of Eschatology:Two Ages

The Bible understands history to unfold in two

successive ages: This present age

The age to come

Eph 1:20-21: which [the Father] brought aboutin Christ, when He raised Him from the dead andseated Him at His right hand in the heavenlyplaces, far above all rule and authority and

power and dominion, and every name that isnamed, not only in this age but also in the one tocome.


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Characteristics of

This Present Age


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The Structure of Eschatology:This Present Age

It is an age in which people marry and are given

in marriage: Luke 20:34: Jesus said to them,The sons of this age marry and are given inmarriage. Put differently, it is connected with temporal life: 1 Cor

7:29-31: But this I say, brethren, the time has beenshortened, so that from now on those who have wivesshould be as though they had none; and those whoweep, as though they did not weep; and those whorejoice, as though they did not rejoice; and those who

buy, as though they did not possess; and those whouse the world, as though they did not make full use ofit; for the form of this world is passing away.


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The Structure of Eschatology:This Present Age

It is an age that is evil: Gal 1:4: who gave

Himself for our sins so that He might rescue usfrom this present evil age, according to the will ofour God and Father

It is an age to which Christians must not conformthemselves:Rom 12:2: And do not beconformed to this age, but be transformed by the

renewing of your mind, so that you may provewhat the will of God is, that which is good andacceptable and perfect.


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The Structure of Eschatology:

This Present Age

It is an age that implicitly honors Satan

and that does not understand the gospel:2 Cor 4:4: in whose case the god of thisage has blinded the minds of the

unbelieving so that they might not see thelight of the gospel of the glory of Christ,who is the image of God.


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This Present Age

It is an age of spiritual death:Eph 2:1-2:

And you were dead in your trespasses andsins, in which you formerly walkedaccording to the course of this age,

according to the prince of the power of theair, of the spirit that is now working in thesons of disobedience.


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This Present Age

Yet it is an age under the rule of Jesus

Christ:Eph 1:20-21: which He broughtabout in Christ, when He raised Him fromthe dead and seated Him at His right hand

in the heavenly places, far above all ruleand authority and power and dominion,and every name that is named, not only inthis age but also in the one to come.


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This Present Age

It is an age of blessings for those who

embrace the gospel:Mark 10:30: butthat he will receive a hundred times asmuch now in the present age, houses and

brothers and sisters and mothers andchildren and farms, along withpersecutions; and in the age to come,eternal life.


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This Present Age

And it is an age characterized by the

presence of Christ with believers:Matt28:20: teaching them to observe all thatI commanded you; and lo, I am with you

always, even to the end of the age.


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The End of the Age


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The End of the Age Matt 13:39-40: and the enemy who sowed them is the

devil, and the harvest is the end of the age; and the

reapers are angels. So just as the tares are gathered upand burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of theage.49So it will be at the end of the age; the angels willcome forth and take out the wicked from among therighteous,

Matt 24:3: As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, thedisciples came to Him privately, saying, Tell us, whenwill these things happen, and what will be the sign ofYour coming, and of the end of the age?

Matt 28:20: teaching them to observe all that Icommanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even tothe end of the age.


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The Events of the End


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The Return of Christ inPower and Glory


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The End of the Age The return of Jesus Christ in power and glory: 2 Thess

1:6-10: For after all it is only just for God to repay withaffliction those who afflict you, and to give relief to youwho are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesuswill be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels inflaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not

know God and to those who do not obey the gospel ofour Lord Jesus. These will pay the penalty of eternaldestruction, away from the presence of the Lord andfrom the glory of His power, when He comes to be

glorified in His saints on that day, and to be marveled atamong all who have believedfor our testimony to youwas believed.


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The End of the Age

The return of Jesus Christ in power and

glory: 1 Thess 4:13-5:6

2 Thess 2:1-2: Now we request you,

brethren, with regard to the coming of ourLord Jesus Christ and our gathering togetherto Him, that you not be quickly shaken fromyour composure or be disturbed either by a

spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, tothe effect that the day of the Lord has come.


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The Resurrection of theJust and Unjust


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The End of the Age The resurrection of the just and the unjust:Matt

24:30: And then the sign of the Son of Man willappear in the sky, and then all the tribes of theearth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF

MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKYwith power and great glory. And He will sendforth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET andTHEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His electfrom the four winds, from one end of the sky tothe other.


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The End of the Age The resurrection of the just and the unjust:1 Thess

4:13-17: But we do not want you to be uninformed,

brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you willnot grieve as do the rest who have no hope. For if webelieve that Jesus died and rose again, even so God willbring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that wewho are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord,will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For theLord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, withthe voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God,

and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who arealive and remain will be caught up together with them inthe clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shallalways be with the Lord.


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The End of the Age The resurrection of the just and the unjust:

John 6:39-40, 44, 54: This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of

all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the lastday. For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholdsthe Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myselfwill raise him up on the last day.44No one can come to Meunless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up

on the last day.54He who eats My flesh and drinks My bloodhas eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.

John 5:28-29: Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, inwhich all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, and will comeforth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life,those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection ofjudgment.


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The End of the Age The resurrection of the just and the unjust:

John 11:24: Martha said to Him, I know that he willrise again in the resurrection on the last day.

John 12:48: He who rejects Me and does not receiveMy sayings, has one who judges him; the word Ispoke is what will judge him at the last day.

1 Cor 15:23: But each in his own order: Christ thefirst fruits, after that those who are Christ's at His

coming.


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The End of the Age The resurrection of the just and the unjust:1 Cor 15:50

Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot

inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishableinherit the imperishable. Behold, I tell you a mystery; wewill not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in amoment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet;

for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raisedimperishable, and we will be changed. For thisperishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortalmust put on immortality. But when this perishable will

have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will haveput on immortality, then will come about the saying thatis written, "DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory.


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The Judgment of Humanity


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The End of the Age The judgment of humanity:

Matt 13:36-40: Then He left the crowds and went into the house.

And His disciples came to Him and said, "Explain to us theparable of the tares of the field. And He said, "The one whosows the good seed is the Son of Man, and the field is the world;and as for the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom;and the tares are the sons of the evil one; and the enemy who

sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is the end of the age;and the reapers are angels. So just as the tares are gathered upand burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age.

Matt 13:49: So it will be at the end of the age; the angels willcome forth and take out the wicked from among the righteous,and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there willbe weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Matt 25:31-46


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The End of the Age The judgment of humanity:

1 Cor 1:8: who will also confirm you to the end, blameless in

the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Cor 3:12-15: Now if any man builds on the foundation with

gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man's workwill become evident; for the day will show it because it is to berevealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of eachman's work. If any man's work which he has built on it remains,he will receive a reward. If any man's work is burned up, he willsuffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

1 Cor 5:5: I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the

destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the dayof the Lord Jesus.


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The End of the Age The judgment of humanity: 1 Cor 15:24-28: Then comes

the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God

and Father, when He has abolished all rule and allauthority and power. For He must reign until He has putall His enemies under His feet. The last enemy that willbe abolished is death. For HE HAS PUT ALL THINGS IN

SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET. But when He says,"All things are put in subjection," it is evident that He isexcepted who put all things in subjection to Him. Whenall things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself

also will be subjected to the One who subjected allthings to Him, so that God may be all in all.


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The End of the Age The judgment of humanity: Phil 1:6, 9-11: For I

am confident of this very thing, that He whobegan a good work in you will perfect it until theday of Christ Jesus.9And this I pray, that yourlove may abound still more and more in real

knowledge and all discernment, so that you mayapprove the things that are excellent, in order tobe sincere and blameless until the day of Christ;having been filled with the fruit of righteousnesswhich comes through Jesus Christ, to the gloryand praise of God.


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The Restoration of AllThings


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The End of the Age

The restoration of all things: Acts 3:20-21:

and that He may send Jesus, the Christappointed for you, whom heaven mustreceive until the period of restoration of all

things about which God spoke by themouth of His holy prophets from ancienttime.

Th S f E h l


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The End of the Age

The restoration of all things: Rom 8:19-20:

For the anxious longing of the creationwaits eagerly for the revealing of the sonsof God. For the creation was subjected to

futility, not willingly, but because of Himwho subjected it.

Th S f E h l


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The End of the Age The restoration of all things: 1 Cor 15:22-28: For as in

Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. But

each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after thatthose who are Christ's at His coming, then comes theend, when He hands over the kingdom to the God andFather, when He has abolished all rule and all authorityand power. For He must reign until He has put all His

enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will beabolished is death. For HE HAS PUT ALL THINGS INSUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET. But when He says,"All things are put in subjection," it is evident that He is

excepted who put all things in subjection to Him. Whenall things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himselfalso will be subjected to the One who subjected allthings to Him, so that God may be all in all.

Th St t f E h t l


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The End of the Age The restoration of all things: 2 Pet 3:10: But the day of

the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will

pass away with a roar and the elements will bedestroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its workswill be burned up. Since all these things are to bedestroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to

be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for andhastening the coming of the day of God, because ofwhich the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and theelements will melt with intense heat! But according to His

promise we are looking for new heavens and a newearth, in which righteousness dwells.

Th St t f E h t l


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The End of the Age The restoration of all things: Matt 24:29-31: But

immediately after the tribulation of those days THE SUN

WILL BE DARKENED, AND THE MOON WILL NOTGIVE ITS LIGHT, AND THE STARS WILL FALL from thesky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Andthen the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky,

and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and theywill see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDSOF THE SKY with power and great glory. And He willsend forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET and

THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from thefour winds, from one end of the sky to the other.


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The End of the Age: Summary

Th St t f E h t l


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Summary of the Events ofthe End of the Age

This present age ends with the return ofChrist in glory,

The resurrection of the just and unjust, The judgment of the just and unjust,

And the restoration of all things.

The Str ct re of Eschatolog


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There is nothing in the texts we haveobserved that indicates that these eventsare not coordinate with one another;

In fact, the presence of the trumpetindicates that these events happen at the

same time.


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Matt 24:29-31



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Matt 24:29-31 The trumpet heralds therestoration of all things, thereturn of Christ, and thegathering of the elect from theearth (see Matt 13:49-50).



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Matt 24:29-31 The trumpet heralds therestoration of all things, thereturn of Christ, and thegathering of the elect from the

earth (see Matt 13:49-50).

1 Cor 15:23-54



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1 Cor 15:23-54 The trumpet heralds the returnof Christ, the restoration of allthings, and the resurrection ofthe dead (see John 5:29).



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1 Thess 4:16



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1 Thess 4:16 The trumpet heralds the returnof Christ and the resurrection of

the dead (see John 5:29).


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Characteristics of

the Age to Come



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The Age to Come It is an age of eternal life:

Mark 10:30: but that he will receive a hundred times as much

now in the present age, houses and brothers and sisters andmothers and children and farms, along with persecutions; and inthe age to come, eternal life.

Matt 25:21, 23: His master said to him, Well done, good andfaithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in

charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master. 23His master said to him, Well done, good and faithful slave. Youwere faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of manythings; enter into the joy of your master.

Matt 25:46: These will go away into eternal punishment, but therighteous into eternal life.



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The Age to Come It is an age of resurrection, without marriage or

betrothal: Luke 20:34-36: Jesus said to them,The sons of this age marry and are given inmarriage, but those who are considered worthyto attain to that age and the resurrection fromthe dead, neither marry nor are given inmarriage; for they cannot even die anymore,because they are like angels, and are sons of

God, being sons of the resurrection.



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The Age to Come It is an age under the rule of Jesus Christ:

Eph 1:20-21: which He brought about inChrist, when He raised Him from the deadand seated Him at His right hand in the

heavenly places, far above all rule andauthority and power and dominion, andevery name that is named, not only in this

age but also in the one to come.



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The Age to Come In addition, we may also glean other

characteristics of the age to come by whatwe have learned about the end of thispresent age;

For as we have seen, when Jesus comesat the end of the age, he brings with himhis radical transformation and alteration oflife in this present age.



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e St uctu e o sc ato ogy

The Age to Come It is an age of restoration:

2 Pet 3:13: But according to His promise we arelooking for new heavens and a new earth, in whichrighteousness dwells.

1 Cor 15:54-55: But when this perishable will have

put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have puton immortality, then will come about the saying that iswritten, "DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory. ODEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH,WHERE IS YOUR STING?"

Condensed Theology, Lecture 46, Eschatology Part 02

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