To Eschatology or not to Eschatology!
I was asked a question regarding a question of eschatology on Facebook. I had to pray a lot about it and this was the best answer to a question I've been mulling over for years.
The names have been changed to protect the guilty.
*****************************************************************************
Brother, speaking of eschatology what is your view point on that subject? My views have changed dramatically since I've been doing some research and study about it. I am prayerfully asking God to settle me on that issue. I am no longer pre-trib, mid- trib or even post-trib anymore. Could you PM me and bless me with a little of the [Aaronism] knowledge and I will share with you my Tonyism thoughts. Philippians 2:12 my brother ??
Have you ever danced with the devil in pale moonlight? Well, asking my opinion on a matter, any matter, perhaps especially eschatology, is a little like that!
In my very young days, I thought I could speak for Christianity. I was wrong.
I was still foolish enough to try to speak for Southern Baptists. They proved me wrong.
Once upon a time, I may have even feigned to speak for the Davis family in general. Time, though, has made a change in my family.
So, I'll just talk about what I think. I'll preface this with the obvious: I don't have all the answers. Still, I know enough to generally recognize when something is wrong. Obviously, you are seeing errors in things you have heard preached for decades. To publicly say you are not "pre-trib" is anathema to Fundamentalists today. I never heard what is often called pre-millinialism preached as I was coming up, but I was fortunate enough to have my father as my pastor. I can also testify that my brother Joe, who was my pastor for several years, easily found meat from the Gospel that was fresh and neither stale nor rotten. I can further testify that my grandparents, who lived in the post-bellum South, testified to me that neither they nor their parents believed it, neither was it preached from pulpits of their churches. Further, if a preacher had tried to preach pre-millenialism back then, even up into the sixties locally, he would've been escorted by the pastor/deacons to the pew to learn or out the door. My how things have changed!
That little story is almost unimportant, but, dealing with this delicate matter, I thought it might be important to let you know where I come from. Having said all that, as my dad taught me, I had to examine these things, "work out my own salvation," for myself. Time and study has, for me, confirmed my perspective.
Now, to the point:
The Book of Revelation is, in my never to be humble opinion, one of the most read and studied and most misunderstood books of the Bible. Yet, it is one of the most beautiful!
I've sat through so many sermons, attended study courses, read books on the matter from the "pre-trib" perspective and, frankly, all I hear is a bunch of hooey! I hear no hope for the Church or salvation for the lost in the any of it.
Let me sum up:
A couple of verses, not to diminish others, in Revelation are the two keys to having any understanding of it.
Revelation 1:1 KJV
The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:
"The Revelation of Jesus Christ." Christ Who was revealed to us through the man Jesus. Who revealed Himself to John in a vision on Patmos. We know so much about Him, but we understand so little.
Preachers drone about computer banks, plastic strips on credit cards, Russia and the "state of Israel," quickly forgetting that John said, first thing, that this book is about Jesus Christ! To even hope to begin to understand that revelation, we must not lose sight that it is He we should be looking for.
Actually, there is another that we should look for in this book. Someone who, sadly, is repeatedly overlooked and passed over. Someone whose idea and image has been distorted by both ignorance and intent for nearly two millennia now. This One is the second key.
Revelation 21:9 KJV
And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.
"The Lamb's wife." We see the angel specifically introduce to, or "shew," John the Lamb's Wife, the Bride. The Bride of Christ!
Preachers fill their congregants' ears with talk about Heaven and streets of gold, jasper walls and gates of pearl completely ignoring that the angel is not showing John Heaven, but the most important Person in Heaven. The One that the Bridegroom gave His life to purchase, to prepare and, as any loving husband, spend an eternity with. It's like attending the wedding of strangers and when someone there points out the bride, we only see the flowers and candles, but never the pretty lady in the white dress.
We have eyes, but we don't see. Like the Bible in general, I believe more especially the Book of Revelation, this is a love letter from the greatest lover in history to His One and Only! Without this, I believe we can never even begin to grasp the love story that our God and Father is desperately trying to get us foolish souls to ever so slightly comprehend.
We are so caught up in looking at the hands of God, we never look up to see His face or that of His Bride. We see the dragons, the plagues, the wars and the seas, but we miss the wedding party.
Tragically, I hear very few preachers talk about the "Bride of Christ." They only speak of the Church as if it's a different entity. It's all about Her identity!
One more thing: I'll paraphrase my Uncle Ulis who, referring to the Wedding Supper spoken so much of by so many preachers, said, if there has not yet been a wedding, that makes us all bastards!
Well, I confess I am a little short on specifics here. My point is always, when asked this basic question, to try to help the questioner find a way to come closer to the truth than to continue to hobble along with those who seem to be, well, missing out on the party.
Yes, I have been long, but you did ask! ha! ha!
p.s. I'm going to tag you in a link for Youtube. It's a sermon by Mark Rutland. It's ninety-plus minutes, but well worth your time!
The names have been changed to protect the guilty.
*****************************************************************************
Brother, speaking of eschatology what is your view point on that subject? My views have changed dramatically since I've been doing some research and study about it. I am prayerfully asking God to settle me on that issue. I am no longer pre-trib, mid- trib or even post-trib anymore. Could you PM me and bless me with a little of the [Aaronism] knowledge and I will share with you my Tonyism thoughts. Philippians 2:12 my brother ??
Have you ever danced with the devil in pale moonlight? Well, asking my opinion on a matter, any matter, perhaps especially eschatology, is a little like that!
In my very young days, I thought I could speak for Christianity. I was wrong.
I was still foolish enough to try to speak for Southern Baptists. They proved me wrong.
Once upon a time, I may have even feigned to speak for the Davis family in general. Time, though, has made a change in my family.
So, I'll just talk about what I think. I'll preface this with the obvious: I don't have all the answers. Still, I know enough to generally recognize when something is wrong. Obviously, you are seeing errors in things you have heard preached for decades. To publicly say you are not "pre-trib" is anathema to Fundamentalists today. I never heard what is often called pre-millinialism preached as I was coming up, but I was fortunate enough to have my father as my pastor. I can also testify that my brother Joe, who was my pastor for several years, easily found meat from the Gospel that was fresh and neither stale nor rotten. I can further testify that my grandparents, who lived in the post-bellum South, testified to me that neither they nor their parents believed it, neither was it preached from pulpits of their churches. Further, if a preacher had tried to preach pre-millenialism back then, even up into the sixties locally, he would've been escorted by the pastor/deacons to the pew to learn or out the door. My how things have changed!
That little story is almost unimportant, but, dealing with this delicate matter, I thought it might be important to let you know where I come from. Having said all that, as my dad taught me, I had to examine these things, "work out my own salvation," for myself. Time and study has, for me, confirmed my perspective.
Now, to the point:
The Book of Revelation is, in my never to be humble opinion, one of the most read and studied and most misunderstood books of the Bible. Yet, it is one of the most beautiful!
I've sat through so many sermons, attended study courses, read books on the matter from the "pre-trib" perspective and, frankly, all I hear is a bunch of hooey! I hear no hope for the Church or salvation for the lost in the any of it.
Let me sum up:
A couple of verses, not to diminish others, in Revelation are the two keys to having any understanding of it.
Revelation 1:1 KJV
The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:
"The Revelation of Jesus Christ." Christ Who was revealed to us through the man Jesus. Who revealed Himself to John in a vision on Patmos. We know so much about Him, but we understand so little.
Preachers drone about computer banks, plastic strips on credit cards, Russia and the "state of Israel," quickly forgetting that John said, first thing, that this book is about Jesus Christ! To even hope to begin to understand that revelation, we must not lose sight that it is He we should be looking for.
Actually, there is another that we should look for in this book. Someone who, sadly, is repeatedly overlooked and passed over. Someone whose idea and image has been distorted by both ignorance and intent for nearly two millennia now. This One is the second key.
Revelation 21:9 KJV
And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.
"The Lamb's wife." We see the angel specifically introduce to, or "shew," John the Lamb's Wife, the Bride. The Bride of Christ!
Preachers fill their congregants' ears with talk about Heaven and streets of gold, jasper walls and gates of pearl completely ignoring that the angel is not showing John Heaven, but the most important Person in Heaven. The One that the Bridegroom gave His life to purchase, to prepare and, as any loving husband, spend an eternity with. It's like attending the wedding of strangers and when someone there points out the bride, we only see the flowers and candles, but never the pretty lady in the white dress.
We have eyes, but we don't see. Like the Bible in general, I believe more especially the Book of Revelation, this is a love letter from the greatest lover in history to His One and Only! Without this, I believe we can never even begin to grasp the love story that our God and Father is desperately trying to get us foolish souls to ever so slightly comprehend.
We are so caught up in looking at the hands of God, we never look up to see His face or that of His Bride. We see the dragons, the plagues, the wars and the seas, but we miss the wedding party.
Tragically, I hear very few preachers talk about the "Bride of Christ." They only speak of the Church as if it's a different entity. It's all about Her identity!
One more thing: I'll paraphrase my Uncle Ulis who, referring to the Wedding Supper spoken so much of by so many preachers, said, if there has not yet been a wedding, that makes us all bastards!
Well, I confess I am a little short on specifics here. My point is always, when asked this basic question, to try to help the questioner find a way to come closer to the truth than to continue to hobble along with those who seem to be, well, missing out on the party.
Yes, I have been long, but you did ask! ha! ha!
p.s. I'm going to tag you in a link for Youtube. It's a sermon by Mark Rutland. It's ninety-plus minutes, but well worth your time!
Labels: Baptist, Bride of Christ, eschatology, God, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Pre-Mellinnial, preachers, Revelation, Southern Baptists
posted by The Preacher's Kid | 11:10 PM
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