March 12, 2010

To listen in on our class click here.

This week we gathered in a continuation of our end times discussion. We started by looking at Acts 17, where Paul, reasoned with the Thessalonians and the Bereans from the scripture, which in this case, where the Old Testament Scriptures. Paul’s method was didactic in approach- a question and answer session if you may. The point being that if we are to be like Jesus, which Paul emulated, then we need to reason out of the scripture and be able to field questions with scriptural responses.

Building upon our two fold purpose of understanding the historical understanding of ends times, and drawing our own conclusions, we will learn and develop the ability to reason out of the scriptures.

Scriptures & Notes

Conversation Surrounding the Introduction of The Blessed Hope, by George Eldon Ladd

• The Second Coming- A Redemptive Human Process in 2 Parts
  • Redemption of Body
    • Romans 8:23
  • Redemption of Society
    • Isaiah 9:6 – Government will be upon his shoulder
    • Revelation 20-21 – New Jerusalem is established
    • Romans 8:22 – Creation Groans for the Lord’s return
    • Ephesians 1:17-23
    • 1 Corinthians 15:24-27
• The Redemption of Earth
  • The Earth will be filled with his Glory
    • Isaiah 11:9
  • How will the knowledge of God fill the Earth?
    • Zechariah 8:18-23 – The Church will lead those who enter the millennial reign to God
      • v 19.: Fellowship occurs out of joy instead of obligation
      • v 22.: This has yet to occur and such is a prophetic statement
      • All the Earth is not knowledgeable of God. It appears that 1/3rd of the Earth’s population will have been destroyed. Those that live through the Great Tribulation and are not destroyed will enter the millennial reign.
    • Habakkuk 2:14
    • Zechariah 12:8 – The Lord, will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem,
    • Zechariah 13:6 – What are these wounds in thy hands?
      • I was wounded in the house of my friends.
    • Zechariah 14 – Jerusalem is safely inhabited, and those that have fought against Jerusalem will melt away.
  • Not all enemies are under Christ feet until the end of the millennial reign
    • After Armageddon the Beast (Antichrist, Man of Sin, Son of Perdition, Wicked to be Revealed, etc.) and the False Prophet are destroyed
      • Revelations 19:20
      • 2 Thessalonians 2:9
    • Psalm 2:8 – Blessed are those who put their trust in the Messiah during the millennial reign
    • Isaiah 2:4 – Judge the nations, and nations will not war against one another.
    • The Battle of Gog and Magog occurs after Satan is unbound
      • Revelations 20:7
      • Geographically Gog and Magog are the furthest points from Jerusalem
      • The number of them in battle against God are as many as the sand of the sea
    • There will no excuse for not submitting to God, except people’s disobedience.
      • Revelations 20: 1-4 – Satan is bound.
      • The millennial reign will prove that the Enemy is not responsible for people’s sin and separation from God, for even after the Enemy is bound there will be some who do not submit to God.

Questions & Answers

Q: Is the Great Tribulation the same as the Wrath of God?
A: The Great Tribulation is a period of 3 1/2 years which is called Jacob’s Trouble. This occurs 3 1/2 into the reign of the Antichrist (half way into the 7 years of Tribulation). The Wrath of God may not be synonymous with the the Great Tribulation, but is often seen, especially by G.E. Ladd, as an series of events targeted toward the Antichrist and his followers. Both events occur in the 7 year period prior to the second advent of the Chris and the establishment of the millennial reign.

Q: When does the Battle of Armageddon occur?
A: This battle occurs before the beginning of the millennial reign and is a battle which destroys the Antichrist and his followers.

Q: How does Matthew 24:36 fit into the second advent?
A: This often used as an example of the rapture of the church, but it from the context (The days of Noah). Within its proper context, this has more to do with entrance into the millennium reign. From a Covenant Theology perspective the “one taken” is the one who is unjust, and will not enter the millennium kingdom. The one who is just, can be classified as the sheep mentioned in Matthew 25, below.

Q: Who’s alive in the millennial kingdom who is not a believer?
A: Matthew 25 lays out the Parable of the Sheep and Goats.  There will be a judgment (not the final judgment) where he will set the sheep on the right and the goats on the left. The scripture says that the ones who took of the Lord’s brethren, will inherit life in the millennial kingdom. The nations will be judged by their actions during the Great Tribulation towards the Lord’s people–this is the criteria. As part of the millennium reign, these mortals will have an opportunity to accept Christ as their Messiah and live forever. Even then, some will not submit. From a Dispensationalist Theology point of view, the brethren in this chapter are the Jews. Furthermore, the Church is gone, the fate of the nations during the Great Tribulation, rest upon the treatment of the Jews under persecution.

Assignment

Explain the Key positions of Dispensational theology
Week of March 15: Read 1 & 2 Thessalonians (in various translations, if possible)
Week of March 22: Read 1 Corinthians (once per day, in various translations, if possible)
Week of March 29: Read Matthew 24 & 25
Week of April 5: Read Revelations

Next Meeting
Date: April 9, 2010
Time: 7:00 pm
Place: The Mathieson’s Home

Download the notes from this class here.