Articles
"An Overview of Eschatology"By GARRETT PAUL PARRISH
www.BibleProphecyFulfilled.org
(Timing, language, location.)
When the Bible refers to the last days, the time of the end, and the end of the age, what exactly is it talking about? Is it the end of the world (Kosmos/Globe), the end of time, or the end of something else? I would like to suggest that it is referring to something else.
The three
important points to consider when delving into eschatology
are timing,
language,
and location. Timing
is everything. Knowing this will get you
in the right
millennia. Prophetic
and apocalyptic language in the New Testament is
taken from such
imagery as coming in
the clouds, and the sun,
moon, and stars being
darkened, directly
from the Old Testament scriptures. Knowing this will keep you out of
jail and suicide
cults. Such as has been seen with the likes of Jim Jones, David Koresh,
Charles Manson,
Randy Weaver (inspired by Hal Lindsey), David Berg (Children of God.),
Rollen
Stewart, aka Rainbow
man/John 3:16 man, Marshall
Applewhite/Heaven’s Gate/Hale
Bopp, and the Japanese subway bomber, to name a few. Finally, location,
location,
location will get you in the right hemisphere. Disciples
(first century
disciples.) are
exhorted to flee Judea, not Jersey.
Does the physical earth end? Psalms 78:69, 104:5,
Ecc.1:4, and
Eph.3:21
all say, No!
Even Jack Van Incorrect (Impe) understands this fact. However, it was
only after a letter
from David Chilton, that he learned of this reality. Matthew 24:3
refers to the end of the
age, not of the “world/globe-“Kosmos,”
and 2 Pet.3
is referring to the melting of the
“elements.”
{“Stoichelon”-Rudiments,
principles and
philosophies, also used in
Gal.4:3,9,
Col.2:8,20,
Hb.5:12.} The
New Heavens and Earth are
referring to the New
Covenant’s manifest establishment after the destruction of
the Old Covenants
headquarters, Jerusalem and the temple. (Gal.4:24-26, Heb.9:8)
The
destruction
of the
temple is the central theme of eschatology. (Mt.24:2,Dan.9:27,
Rev.11:2) The last days
were the last days of the Old Covenant system, which revolved around
the temple. (Acts
2:16-21, Heb.1:2) The New Covenant temple of the body of
Christ is
clearly revealed
after the Old temple is destroyed. (Heb.9:8)
This New temple is the
temple/tabernacle
(Rev.21:3)
of God described as a “New
Heavens and a New
Earth” (Rv.21:1), a
New
Jerusalem (Rev.21:2,
Gal.4:26-New Covenant, Hb.12:22) and as a BRIDE
(Rev.21:2,
Rom.7:4, 2 Cor.11:2). The bride of Christ, which is His
body/temple/tabernacle.
(Col.1:24)
God’s covenant people are the dwelling place of
God from Heaven
joined
with men on the Earth.
This is His will being done on Earth
as it is in
Heaven.
(Mt.6:10)
The Puritan theologian John Owen comes to this conclusion
concerning the
references in 2 Pet.3:7,10,12,13,
to the Old,
verses the New
Heavens
and Earth. He
makes the connection with the Old Testament’s use of the
terms in relationship to a
covenant people. “And
I have put my words in thy mouth, and I
have covered thee in the
shadow of mine hand, that I may plant the HEAVENS,
and lay the
foundations of the
EARTH,
and say unto Zion, Thou art MY PEOPLE.”
(Is.51:16)
Moses addresses this
Covenant people in this same way when he states, “Give ear, O
ye HEAVENS,
and I will
speak; and hear, O EARTH,
the words of my mouth.” (Deut.32:1)
Isaiah does the same
again when he says, “Hear, O HEAVENS,
and give ear, O
EARTH…”
(Isaiah 1:2)
This New Covenant has no end, it’s everlasting. (Heb.13:20)
It is entirely impossible
to force a last days in the phrase “Everlasting
Covenant.”
There is no end to the physical earth,
only an end to a
vanishing Old Covenant system
in the first century. (Heb.8:13)
An end to the Old Covenant Age. Daniel
refers to the
“time of the end” of the Old Covenant. (Dan.12:9)
He does not refer to the “end of
time.” We have gotten so much of our eschatology literally
backwards. Rev.10:6
refers
to “delay” no longer, not
“time” no longer. Even the former futurist George
Eldon Ladd
concedes to this concerning “time” no longer. It is
simply communicating that there
would by no more delay in unleashing the judgments determined upon the
unholy land.
Eschatology has to do with the last days, end of the age, and time of
the end, all in
relationship to the Old Covenant system. It’s not about Nukes
and computer chips.
When approaching Bible prophecy the single most important factor is
timing. Timing
is the key component in exposing falsehood and counterfeit prophecy.
The following is a
none exhaustive list of exact years, as to when the fulfillment of a
specific prophecy
would be fulfilled: 1, 3 ,31/2, 7, 15, 65, 70, 80, 100, 120, 400, 483,
490. We see the
Bible being very specific and precise, and in no wise vague, in
relationship to Bible
Prophecy. God created time, and relates to man, whom He has placed in
time, in this
precise manner. When the Bible says that some things are “far
off” (“Sealed up”,
Ez.12:27,
Dan.8:26,12:4,9),
they are 'OT “at hand”,
about to come to pass “shortly”,
and “quickly” (Ez.12:23,25, Rev.1:1,3,
3:11, 16:15,
22:6,7, 10, 12, 20) When God
considers 70 years to be a long time, He means long for man who is in
time, not for
Himself. (Jer.29:28)
Without these time indicators, prophecy
can continually be
pushed into the future with
no more accuracy and precision than that of Jean Dixon. Deut. 18:21-22
and 1
Thes.5:20-21
are two scriptures, which lay out a standard for testing
“prophecy.” This
standard is weaseled out of by today’s pre-millennial
prophets. They maintain that “a
day is as a thousand years and a thousand years is as a day.”
This is God’s eternal
perspective, yet He has set man in time, and relates to him in time.
Prophecy wouldn’t
mean anything, to anyone, if it were not specific in giving time
indicators. Because premillennial
time indicators have flopped, Israel in 1948 (The “last
generation” seeing
Jesus come in ’88, with a ’81 rapture), and
Jerusalem in 1967, Bible Prophecy teachers
are relaying more and more upon the “Thousand year
model” of interpretation. If this
model is to be taken in such a manner, then the reverse would be true
as well, and the
thousand year reign of Christ would extend for the duration of one day.
Further untimely ness exists as Daniels
toes are growing to
extend to thousands of
years, from the first century Roman Empire, into a “Revived
Roman Empire.” These
disproportionate toes are extending longer than the height of Daniels
statue/image.
(Dan.2:31-45)
Such a growing phenomenon is seen similarly with the
growing noses of
today’s pre-millennial Pinocchio Prophets.
A generation has passed, (40 years, Heb.3:9,10)
since 1948,
and Jesus did not “come
back” in 1988, as Hale Bopp Hal assured us He would. Now,
forty years have passed
since 1967 with the Israeli occupation of Jerusalem, and still nothing.
Hal Lindsey gave
permission to his readers to call him a bum, if his prediction failed.
Why is no one
heeding these words of Hal Lindsey. What generation did Jesus say would
see His
coming in the clouds of judgment? (Clouds of judgment- Is.19:1,
Ez.32:7-9, 30:3,
Mt.26:64) “THIS GENERATION shall not pass,
till all these
things be fulfilled.”
(Mt.24:34)
THIS GENERATION is referred to by Jesus about 16 times, and
once by
Peter. It is always, no if’s, and’s, or butts,
referring to the generation to whom Jesus was
speaking to. The word generation (Genea) is used about 38 times in the
New Testament
and never once is it used in referring to a race, and is always
speaking of the generation
to whom Jesus is speaking to, unless other wise noted. Such as, in
Heb.3:9,10,
when it is
spoken of as THAT past generation. “THAT” would be
used for a future generation, if
Jesus was referring to one other than the present one. Therefore, Jesus
uses the clear
phrase “THIS GENERATION” in the Olivet Discourse
addressing the present one to
whom He was speaking. The inconsistency to say that when
“THIS
GENERATION” is
used in the Olivet Discourse (Mt.24, Mk.13, Lk. 21),
it really means
THAT future
GENERATION, is obvious. They have to change the words,
“THIS
to THAT”, in order
to force it into the future. They will be so blatantly inconsistent to
even suggest that,
“Yes, every time “THIS GENERATION” is
used through out the rest of the New
Testament, it always means the present GENERATION to whom Jesus was
speaking.
But, in the Olivet Discourse, the meaning changes, and there it really
means “THAT
GENERATION”, or a race. When no other time through out the
entirety of the New
Testament does it ever mean either. It has to have such a meaning here
they insist,
because if it doesn’t, their futurist model is dismantled.
Here is a brief list of how
GENERATION and THIS GENERATION is used through out the New
Testament.
Mt.3:7,11:16, 2:41,42,45,16:4,23:33,36,24:34,Mk.8:12,38,
9:19,Lk.7:31, 9:41,11:30,31,32
,50,51,17:25, Acts 2:40. I’ll write out a few of
them, so as
to see them laid out one after
another communicating clearly who Jesus is addressing in each passage.
“All these things shall come upon THIS GENERATION.”
“Whereunto shall I liken THIS
GENERATION?”
“Ninevaeh shall rise in judgment with THIS
GENERATION.” “blood…shed…
from
the foundation of the world, may be required of THIS
GENERATION.”
“THIS wicked GENERATION.”
“THIS adulterous and sinful
GENERATION.”
“THIS GENERATION shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.”
A crucial point in understanding Bible Prophecy is the
use of Old Testament,
prophetic/apocalyptic language.
This language is used throughout the
New Testament.
The first century Jew, who was reading the New Testament letters, would
have
understood this Old Testament language and imagery. References to
COMING I THE
CLOUDS, and the SUN, the MOON, and the STARS being darkened meant
something
entirely different to a first century Jew, than it does to a twenty
first century westerner.
The prophetic language and imagery of COMING I THE CLOUDS of judgment
is
used throughout the Old Testament.
Isaiah 19:1
speaks of a coming judgment
upon Egypt.
“The burden of Egypt, Behold ,
the Lord rideth upon a swift CLOUD, and He shall COME into Egypt: and
the idols of
Egypt shall be moved at HIS PRESECE (Parousia is the New Testament
Greek word
for coming, which means coming presence) , and the heart of Egypt shall
melt in the
midst of it.”
Ezekiel 30:3,4
“For the day is
near, even the day of
the Lord is near, a CLOUDY day;
it shall be the time of the heathen. And THE SWORD SHALL COME upon
Egypt.
Ezekiel 32:7-9
“And when I shall put thee out, I will cover
the heaven, a make the
stars thereof dark; I will cover the sun with a CLOUD, and the moon
shall not give her
light.” It was lights out in this judgment, yet nothing
transpired with a physical cloud.
This last scripture also speaks of the SUN, MOON, and STARS to
describe
a coming
judgment. As each ruled the day and night respectively, the language
and imagery here
relates the sun, moon, and stars to ruling authorities of nations. In
judgment their light
was to be put out and darkened.
Isaiah 13:9,10
is describing a judgment
upon Babylon, to be
carried out by the Medes.
(vs17)
“Behold, the day of the Lord COMETH, cruel both with
wrath and fierce anger,
to lay the land desolate: and He shall destroy the sinners thereof out
of it. For the STARS
of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light:
the SU shall be
darkened in his going forth, and the MOON shall not cause her light to
shine.” Nothing
physically happened to the sun, moon, and stars.
Genesis 37:9,10
uses this same language
and imagery in
Joseph‘s dream. “I have
dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the SUN and the MOON, and the
eleven
STARS
made obeisance to me.” Verse 10
interprets the SUN to be
Josephs father, the MOON to
be his mother, and the STARS to be his brothers. They were all placed
in authority over
Joseph, but the tables were going to turn, and Joseph would be in
authority over all of
them in his rule.
The final point necessary in understanding Bible Prophecy
is the all important issue
of location.
Where are the foretold events of Bible Prophecy to unfold?
The book of
Revelation often refers to a third of the “earth”,
or simply a judgment striking the
“earth” etc.. Never is the Greek word Kosmos/Globe
used in these judgments. Some
translations have corrected this and have used the word
“land”. The judgments are
coming upon the “land”, particularly the
“land” of Israel, with the epicenter being
Jerusalem and the temple. Jesus is very specific in the Olivet
Discourse to use words
such as “Oikumene” when saying that the gospel
would be preached in all the “world”,
and then would the end come.(The end of the Old Covenant age)
(Mt.24:14)
“Oikoumene” is defined as “land, the
terrene part of the globe, SPECIFICALLY THE
ROMAN EMPIRE, earth, world.” It is used in Luke 2:1
when a
census went through
out the empire, not the globe.
Jesus also gets specific as to where
this tribulation was to
take place when he exhorts
those in Judea, not Jersey or Georgia, to flee to the mountains.
(Mt.24:16) We’re taught
today that Mt.24
is about a world wide catastrophe, nuclear war, and
global annihilation.
What good would it be to flee to Judea and find refuge in the
mountains, if that were the
case? Such fleeing would be meaningless against F-16’s and
hydrogen bombs of our
day. The next verse in Mt.24:17,
Jesus exhorts those on their housetops
to not go back
into their house to get their goods first, but to flee immediately.
Those in Jerusalem had
homes constructed to hang out on the top of them. (Acts 10:9)
Peter
broke no tile on the
housetop, as we would in our day. Mt.24 is
speaking of their day, OT
OURS!
Location, Location, Location is central to understanding Bible
Prophecy. The world’s
most cataclysmic change of address occurred in the first century. The
world wide
headquarters for the presence of God and the worship of God was
forwarding it’s
address. It was now in the Spirit. (John 4:21-24)
The city headquarters
was no more to
be in Jerusalem, but now in the Jerusalem that is above, the heavenly
Jerusalem in the
Spirit. (Gal.4:24-26,
Heb.12:22) The physical Jerusalem, being the
headquarters for the
Old Covenant, was is bondage awaiting her destruction. She would face
the judgments of
judgments, as “the blood of all the prophets, which was shed
from the foundation of the
world, may be required of THIS GEERATION!” (Lk.11:50,
Mt.23:35,36-38)
Matthew 24 follows this same theme of the city’s, and
it’s temple’s, destruction. The
temple is the central theme. (23:38, 24:2,3,15)
The dwelling place of
God was moving to
a new location. No longer in temples made with hands (Acts 7:48, 17:24,
2 Cor.5:1), but
in a spiritual temple/body of Christ made up of living stones. (1
Pet.2:5) Their
citizenship/address is now in heaven, the heavenly Jerusalem.
(Phil.3:20,
Gal.4:26,
Heb.12:22, Mt.5:14) Citizens now “sit together
(rule) in
heavenly places in Christ
Jesus.” (Eph.2:6,1:3)
The first dwelling place of God, the
first covenant and
it’s temple and city, was about
to be destroyed. (Heb.8:2,7,13)
The Old Covenant was ready to vanish
away. “Eggus”
is the Greek word in Heb.8:13
meaning near, at hand (Rev.1:3,
22:10),
nigh, ready.
The true temple of Jesus Christ/His Body/temple could not be seen
clearly as their was
much murkiness as to who were the true son’s of God, who were
the wheat and tares?
Who were the sheep and goats? Was it the Old Covenant Jews, or the New
Covenant
Jews? “The Holy Ghost this signifying that the way into the
holiest of all was not yet
made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet
standing.” (Heb.9:8)
The dwelling
place of God, the temple, is once again the central theme to Bible
Prophecy. The Old
verses the New. The Old temple was pronounced
“condemned” by one greater than the
temple, the ew Temple/Body/Dwelling Place of God. (Mt.12:6)
The new
dwelling place
is simply Jesus Christ. Many would say in our day as in that day,
“No, being in Jesus
Christ is not enough. We want a physical temple in
Jerusalem.” Once the Old temple,
city, and nation were destroyed, things became crystal clear as to who
the true Jews were.
(1 Pet.2:9,
Mt.21:43, Rm.2:28,29, 9:8) The Old types and shadows had
become relics
and were destroyed. The New Dwelling Place of God became fully realized
at that point.
The consummation of Jesus and His Church/Body/Temple followed the legal
contract of
the cross. (Rev.21:2,3)
In Jesus’ father’s house
were many dwelling places (John
14:3).
This new address is permanent, yet many would like to return to the
middle east and
establish that old dwelling place. They long to return to
Egypt/Jerusalem (Rev.11:8)
and
it’s bondage (Gal.4:25).
In so doing they will face the same
end as the old temple, city,
and nation. Their wood, hay and stuble will be consumed.