Eschatology

Because I have like seven I'd love to give y 'all just cuz okay, you got to read it just cuz though All right, you got

I'll let y 'all share Tate Who did you want one? Mr.

Bobby All right a book. Would you like a book on the end times? Okay.

All right last two You're welcome There you go, sir, you're welcome.

All righty. Let's begin this morning with a word of prayer Holy Father.

I just want to thank you so much for allowing us to be able to gather together Lord I just pray that as we dig into your word and we study more about the end times

God Just pray that we'd be blessed God. I pray that we wouldn't just Spend so much time on deep concepts that just go flying overhead

God just prayed that your word would be made clear God and that we would be enriched to look forward to Jesus your second coming and all the things that you have prepared for us

Jesus pray these things in your name Amen Okay, so we're gonna be talking about Eschatology this morning and this is a subject that is the study of the last things the end times and a lot of people

I think just see this as too challenging. So they run the opposite direction

Okay, and I think we should really be fascinated by the end times, right?

Because we have a limited point of view. We have a limited amount of knowledge

So we should look forward to the things that are to come And I've heard a lot of pastors people and Bible studies.

They say that well, it's just so challenging Well, we shouldn't really try to understand it we shouldn't really spend so much time reading in the book of Revelation and I found that discouraging because I feel like the book of Revelation might exalt

Jesus Christ the most of any other book in the Bible I want to direct your attention to what the book of Revelation says right towards the very

Beginning for those that spend time reading in the book of Revelation about the end times

We read in Revelation 1 verse 3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy and keep those things that are written in it for the

Time is near. So what are the implications of this verse? it's telling us that we are promised blessing if we read it if we study it and we obey the things that we learn and You know, it's interesting that it's the book of Revelation.

That's promising us blessing I think we'll be blessed for reading any part of the Bible I really do but I feel like we would get a portion of double blessing for reading the book of Revelation because it's the culmination of all of redemptive history everything that's happened since Genesis It's leading up to the book of Revelation and Jesus's return

So I had a question. I wanted to ask y 'all have you and this is kind of a bad thing

Have any of y 'all ever had a book or a novel? I've looked at the cover I've looked at the back and I've turned to the last page and I've read the very ending very first Tate's done that Well, it spoils the ending right?

So you don't really want to do that. But when it comes to our walk with Christ Guys, we should go straight to the end and be encouraged by what's to come

Okay, we should be all about the end times as we're gonna see there's a lot of different views and that's okay

We're gonna we're gonna lovingly talk through these things together and sharpen our understanding we should be

Encouraged by the book of Revelation to get a glimpse of what it's going to be like to be with Jesus face -to -face for all eternity

So that being said, please turn to or look towards the top of your page the statement of faith

We're gonna be looking at the end times Okay, and I want to encourage you to write notes and and maybe write down a few questions

I'm gonna try to leave maybe 10 minutes or so at the end and I'd love to hear y 'all's crazy questions about the end times

I would love that So let's look at section 14 last things eschatology

Regarding eschatology. We apply the dictum in essentials unity in non essentials liberty in all things charity

We believe in tea We believe that the doctrines regarding personal eschatology the coming of Christ and the eternal state are clearly

Expressed in the scriptures and are therefore essential yet We hold that the fulfillment of God's promises to Israel and the nature of the

Millennium are less clear and are therefore non -essentials therefore various corporate eschatological views are free to be discussed and taught side -by -side as long as unity is maintained and love is

Preeminent. Could someone please close that back door? So that that early phrase

I want you to maybe highlight or underline that says in essentials unity in non -essentials liberty in all things

Charity. So what is this telling us when we talk about all these different views of the end times?

We're supposed to do it in love, right? That means we can't say things like well, that's just a stupid view that you have right?

It wouldn't be very loving but I understand there's gonna be some light -heartedness

We may joke around with each other, but we can't really mean well, I respect your right to be wrong on this

Right. Have you ever heard that? I've heard some people say well, you'll just understand one day when you get to heaven

Right. Have you ever heard that one before and like I said, I get we can joke back and forth But we can't seriously think that when it comes to these hard to understand topics that we've got it all figured out

We need to lock arms together with the important things the essentials and sharpen one another through the non -essential points

So that's going to be kind of my outline this morning we're going to talk about the essential matters when it comes to eschatology and then we're going to get into the fun stuff the

Non -essentials the details of how these things may pan out So if you would on your sheet, we're going to be talking about the essential points to eschatology

And it's that second sentence in our statement of faith that says we believe that the doctrines

Regarding personal eschatology the coming of Christ the eternal state are clearly expressed in the scriptures and therefore are essential

So those are two important points that we're going to spend a little bit time talking about But I think there's three major points that we should be mindful of when we're talking about the end things

And so the first one you can write in your blank second coming This is referring to Jesus Christ when he physically

Comes back to rule and reign and set up his his kingdom for all eternity

The second coming is going to be a literal coming back and it's going to be future

That's going to be key in our conversation this morning Christ's second coming will also result in a final judgment to slay all of the ungodly

So that is our our first point this morning number two You can write resurrected bodies this refers to the

Saints who will rule and reign with Christ for all eternity and Throughout scripture one of the primary places 1st

Corinthians 15 tells us that we will receive Resurrected bodies fit for all eternity to be with Christ Our new bodies will no longer be be capable of pain or decay and I love

Scripture talking about what it's going to be like in Revelation 21 for the Christian It says that he will wipe away every tear from their eyes and death will be no more

Neither shall there be mourning nor crying Nor pain anymore for the former things have passed away

So like I said earlier, you know how we're not supposed to look towards the ending of a book when reading a novel These are things that we should as Christians Continually look to when we're going through the pains of this life when our body starts to break down and hurt

We can be comforted thinking you know what there is something great that's in store for me because I will be with Christ and all the promises that come with them

So our third point is eternal state This is really neat This is where God will restore the world and this is understood to be the new heaven and the new earth

This is important because the earth as you know now is tainted with sin

Right ever since Genesis chapter 3 with the fall of man The whole world has been cursed with by sin

And so Romans chapter 8 really awesome chapter in the Bible kind of hidden right in the middle

We're given a promise to believers for a future glory and then it talks about the creation and what's going to take place with that Briefly, it says for the creation was subjected to futility not willingly but because of him who subjected it in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to Corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God so that all three of these things the three points the three essential points so important to us as Christians because Guys, we're gonna be going this world that we live in is fleeting.

It's passing. We need to be reminded You know what Jesus didn't just come once to suffer and die, but he's coming back

To rule and reign and we will be with him in new bodies fit for eternity I can't even wrap my mind around eternity

But he promises that we will be with him and it'll be a totally different world.

It'll be heaven on earth So I want us to just have that in our minds as we go through the rest of our study this morning

These are the essential views no matter really what view you take to eschatology all the good orthodox views hold

To these things and we should be encouraged by them So those are the essential points.

So now let's let's transition to the non essential points in Eschatology so look back to that second part of the statement of faith again

That says yet we hold that the fulfillment of God's promises to Israel. I'd maybe underline that this is going to be really important for our conversation the fulfillment of God's promises to Israel and The nature of the

Millennium these things are less clear and are therefore Non -essentials, okay

So notice those two phrases again. These are non -essential. It's the fulfillment of God's promises to Israel That's point number one here and the nature of the

Millennium And I just want this to be super clear that both of these statements are believed by Christians.

These are true When God makes a promise he cannot lie he will completely fulfill his promises and the scripture

Speaks much about there being a millennial rain a type of raining that Christ will will do in the future

When we say something is non -essential. We're saying what is non -essential is how you interpret it

We may disagree on that but non -essential does not mean that it is not important All of these truths are important because they've been revealed to us from God's Holy Scripture So as we begin to talk about these things with one another we must do it out of love

Right with the with the intention of sharpening one another so So I want to spend not just a ton of time

But this is super important how we understand God's promises to Israel We could spend so much time talking about these things.

That's why I said can't spend forever Doing it but this first view is called Dispensationalism this view teaches that the promises that were made to Israel in the

Old Testament this is to be understood as God making promises to the nation the national ethnic people of Israel right the the race of the

Jews Within this view it sees a major distinction between Israel and the church and these are two key aspects within this particular view

This view sees that Israel's promises find their fulfillment in a future

Millennial reign so for example the dispensational view would say okay some of these promises made to Abraham about the land maybe a people and other scripture talks about a future conversion all this was made to the people the ethnic people group of Israel and guys this is one of those doctrines that it's okay not to believe it right.

There's a lot of predominant men Well -respected scholars that believe this like dr.

John MacArthur. He believes this view and that's great I think that's at least enough for us to be like hey, let's study this out, but guess what he's just a man

Right we must test his teachings what he believes his arguments to the

Word of God Right and so I'm gonna say there's there's a lot of well -respected men that I look up to but they they disagree on some of these things and sometimes

I'm like no I Wish they just all agreed and I could just learn that but it's also has a beauty to it

There's disagreement, so it forces me to study God's Word more on the matter So that's that's dispensationalism

The second broad view is called covenant theology this sees

God's fulfilling his promises not to ethnic Israel per se but to spiritual

Israel This would mean that the promises find their fulfillment in Christ and in essence the church reaps those fulfillment blessings as the new

Israel Okay Very good Orthodox view many men throughout history have held this view and it's a little bit different than dispensationalism men like RC Sproul and Voddie Bockham and many others hold to this view and this is a

Lot of Presbyterians hold this view and a lot of Reformed Baptists hold this view and they differ on nuances between each other

So I would just encourage you to go study these things out for yourself But the reason why I even bring these up is how you understand the phrase

How God fulfills his promises to Israel this will influence how you come to an understanding of the millennial reign of Christ Okay So keep that in mind how you understand who

Israel is and the promises of God connect with that That will influence on how you land on one of these three views that come out of church history throughout church history

There have been three good Orthodox views on how to understand the thousand -year reign of Christ So raise your hand are some of these things that I'm talking about new

Maybe some of y 'all are thinking like what is he even talking about a millennial reign dispensationalism?

When I was thinking through this I was like, you know what? Let's go to the disputed passage for the past 2 ,000 years.

I'd like for y 'all to turn with me I think it'll be behind me also But I'd like to go to Revelation chapter 20 and just examine the first 10 verses

These first 10 verses talk about the thousand years of Jesus Christ reigning

So we begin By reading then I saw an angel coming down from heaven

Holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain and he sees that the dragon that ancient serpent who is the devil and Satan and bound him for a thousand years and Threw him into the pit and shut it and sealed it over him so that he might not deceive the nations any longer

Until the thousand years were ended and after that he must be released for a little while Then I saw thrones and seated on them were those to whom authority to judge was committed and And I also saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus For the

Word of God and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads

Or on their hands they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years

The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection

Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection Over such the second death has no power

But there will be priests of God and of Christ and they will reign with him for a thousand years

And when the thousand years are ended Satan will be released from his prison and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth

Gog and Magog to gather them for battle their number is like the sand of the sea and they will march up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the

Saints in the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and consumed them and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and Sulphur where the beasts and the false prophet were for they will be tormented day and night forever and ever

So that's the passage and it's in Revelation 20 there and I hope that you noticed that there was a phrase that Happened six times it mentions the thousand years repeatedly there

So throughout church history questions about this have come up saying is this a literal thousand years?

That's going to take place in the future Usually questions result somewhere along those lines

Another major question has been this is this a figurative thousand years that began in the past Maybe at Christ's resurrection that extends to our present day and until his second return

So we're going to spend the rest of our time talking about these three Orthodox views about the millennial reign the thousand -year reign of Christ and we're going to see how these three views

Attempt to answer the questions of how literal and how figural figurative this text is and did it take place?

Starting in the past or is this something still future? So we're gonna look at these three views number one is called

Premillennialism this view places the return of Christ Before the millennial reign right you see that the second coming might be in your handout to but you got

Jesus's second coming Happening before or pre the thousand years

Okay, and like I said, this is just within this this one particular view For example the premillennial view would see

Jesus's second coming coming in Revelation chapter 19 there's a famous passage there that talks about how the armies of heaven are coming down and Jesus is leading the pack.

He's Coming to rule and reign with the rod of iron. He's king of kings He's Lord of Lords, and he's going to slay the ungodly

So the premillennial view says okay This is Revelation 19 Jesus coming back here.

And then what happens in Revelation chapter 20? The the millennial reign that we read about so the premillennial view says

Revelation chapter 19 happens first and then Revelation chapter 20 happens

And so the reason why you the premillennial sees it like that is because the premillennial view depends heavily upon a

Chronological view of the book of Revelation and I say a chronological view

It's like a story is unfolding. So like when you read a novel, right? There's a sequence of events that happens one after another after another the story just unfolds the premillennial view sees the book of Revelation like that like a story unfolding so like I handed out that one book

MacArthur points to Revelation 1 verse 19 as the blueprint that outlines the entire book

Okay, so Jesus in this verse tells the Apostle John to write therefore the things which you have seen those that are and those that will take place after this and so a lot of Theologians have understood the things which you have seen.

This is something past tense in which In which the the Apostle in chapter 1 saw this vision from Jesus that second phrase those things that are it might be referring to something presently taking place that the the

Apostle John was experiencing like Chapters 2 and 3 of Revelation are letters written to the church

So interestingly enough we too would be in this type of church age and we would share This present time with the

Apostle John because we're still in this this church age So the the things which are past could be chapter 1 the things which are could be

Chapters 2 and 3 in Revelation in that third phrase those that are to take place after this would be referring to a future

History, okay, so this would be ultimately chapters 4 through 22 in the book of Revelation So I'm wanting your mind to think the premillennial view sees the book of Revelation unfolding in a story in a chronological fashion

There are other verses in the book of Revelation where the Apostle John says after this

I looked After this I saw after this I saw another and after this

I heard it could Seem to indicate that he is saying this is taking place This is taking place and then this takes place kind of like in Revelation chapter 19 the second coming and then after that comes the millennial reign

So as I began to wind down for this first view it would almost be wrong for me not to talk about the rapture

Right have some of y 'all seen the movies Out that are out there some of them good some kind of crazy looking

When I was studying the rapture years ago, I began to figure out there's no word rapture in the

Bible, right? But that's okay because just because of words not in the Bible we we as Christians should ask.

What does that word mean? And what does the Bible teach? Right. So the word rapture is not an

English word. It actually comes from the Latin It comes from the Latin word raptura, which means a carrying off now

That's interesting because the Apostle Paul had a lot to say about a snatching away in 1st Thessalonians chapter 4 the

Apostle Paul taught that Christians will be caught up together in the clouds to meet the

Lord in The air so there's going to be a type of snatching away all Orthodox views agree on a rapture happening

Okay a snatching away and then 1st Corinthians 15 Paul describes This is a spectacular event where believers are going to be transformed from mortality into immortality

He says we will be changed in a moment in a twinkling of an eye The dead will be raised imperishable and we will be changed.

So think about this event It's going to be a type of snatching away and then we're going to be transformed. We're going to receive our resurrected bodies

So all views agree to this that there's going to be a rapture But it's the timing of the rapture that is heavily disputed.

So within the pre -millennial view The rapture is usually in connection to the tribulation and the second coming of Christ So the pre mill the pre mill view would say the tribulation is typically seen as a as a seven -year time period

So this the seven -year time period is broken up into two parts the first you have a three and a half years

Which is referred to as like a false peace and in the second three and a half years is called the great

Tribulation. Okay. It's the great tribulation where the Antichrist is revealed and God is disciplining

Israel and Within the the pre -tribulational rapture view the church is snatched away right before the the seven years takes place

So like I said, this is a view within Premillennialism if someone says are you pre -trib, mid -trib, post -trib?

You might be asked are you even pre -millennial? Right, we need to we need to figure out what what takes place even before you come to the rapture because this depends on how

You understand who Israel is, right? So that's what the Pre -tribulational rapture view looks like the the church in this view is raptured snatched away before the tribulation

So on your sheet, I I don't want you to think that there's three raptures on your sheet I couldn't condense it.

I had to condense. I couldn't really stretch it into three different views But the mid -trib, I feel like it's pretty pretty obvious It has the church being snatched away right before the

Antichrist is revealed or right before God Pours out all of his judgments on the unbelieving world

So that's the that's the mid -trib and then you got the post -trib view and this is interesting because you have the church being raptured up or Believers and meeting

Christ in the air and then coming right back down before he sets up his kingdom So once again all these fall within the pre -millennial view and it goes back

That goes back to how you understand the fulfillment of God's promises to Israel The pre -mill says

God completely fulfills these promises not to the church But to ethnic or the nation of Israel in this future millennial reign of Christ So there's one caution that I want to just throw out there to be mindful of it

Seems like it's the pre -millennial pre -trib mid -trib. You got these people that write books trying to predict the rapture

Okay, and I just want to say it guys No one knows if this is the right view No one knows when this is gonna happen

Jesus even said there are certain times and seasons that aren't meant for you to even know about Right, so I've heard of crazy stories of people buying this book

Of course because these teachers really just want your money They sell all their possessions because they're convinced the rapture is gonna happen, you know in the 90s

You know, I mean guys no one knows these things So we should it's okay to have an opinion But I want you to be mindful these people that write books and really want your money

Okay, that sound good. It's not like a good caution to have and studying these things All right.

Let's move on. So the second major view is called ah Millennialism this name literally means no

Millennium. However, I think this might be a misnomer because you might be thinking.

Oh, they don't believe in Revelation chapter 20 No, no, this view absolutely believes that a millennial reign will happen

They just they do not believe that it's a future Millennial reign of Christ because in this view they believe that the thousand years is symbolic for right now

Okay, does that kind of make sense? They do believe in a millennial reign just not a future literal one this entire view looks to Between the first and second

Advents, so maybe I think it may be in your handout. There's a picture of that Joe do we have that on the next slide perhaps?

Yeah. Yeah So this is a symbolic millennium and this began at the resurrection of Christ and this extends all the way until Christ Returns, so this is really interesting.

This says that we are currently living in this figurative millennium And so maybe all millennialism isn't a good name

I know a lot of all male people to say no, I see myself more as an inaugurate Millennialist, which means that the kingdom of God was inaugurated or began at Christ's resurrection at which point he gained victory over Satan and the curse

They say also that since Christ ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the father

He is ruling now over the church right this figurative millennium, and he will return bodily at the end so This is the all millennial position

Another major distinction between the pre millennial view and the all millennial view is that the all mill?

when they approach the book of Revelation they see it mainly as Historical so they do not read it as Chronologically, but cyclically right that's a technical term

But they just since history tends to repeat itself all of these views all these tribulations all these hardships all these judgments

This mainly happened to the early church Right and they see all these is happening as cycles throughout church history until Christ returns

I started to run out of room on your handouts So I put a little box that says that the all mill reads not

Chronologically or cyclically not chronologically, so this is a major distinction between these two views

The all mill view sees the same cycles of history repeating itself, right?

So like the the destruction of the temple right that happened in the early with the early church

So all these types of cycles will continue to happen throughout the church until Christ returns

This is where I want to bring to your attention kind of an interesting Terminology that's called partial preterism okay, all mill refer to themselves as preterists and That's a fancy word that comes from the

Latin which which is prater which means past okay? I don't want to lose you on the these terms because they're so important to the distinctions

Understanding what the pre mill believes and the all mill believes and a third third view that we'll get to But I want you the most

Orthodox Christians that would hold to preterist would say I'm a partial preterist

I believe that most not all but most of these events in Revelation happened in the past Does that make sense?

Partial they don't believe the second coming all those essential points have happened yet But when they come to the book of Revelation, they would say partially or mostly these things happen to the early church

I want you to think how the pre millennial view Sees Revelation as primarily taking place in the future and the all millennial view sees

Revelation primarily taking place in the past Right, so partial preterism is a good

Orthodox view But I want to once again caution you there's a view out there called not partial preterism

But full preterism full preterism sees that all of Revelation as taking place in the past This view in my estimation presents problems because remember those essential things

Jesus returning bodily us receiving resurrected bodies in the eternal state this view says yeah in some fashion that already happened in the past Right.

I think that should be concerning because this this has to do with our blessed Hope right of Jesus coming back to take us with him.

So I just want to put that on your radar Hopefully you shouldn't be scared of Revelation in the book of eschatology be like, you know what this book actually promises me blessing

So hopefully as you begin to study these things on your own I want you to also be mindful of the things that we should be cautioning about So not all all the all male perspectives agree with one another maybe on this next point but a lot of all millennial views actually agree with the pre millennial view that things will get worse and worse and so I Was talking to to Ben That rapture happens at the end, but it really isn't in connection with any type of tribulation

It just happens at the end when Christ returns we get raptured to be with him to be changed So that happens at the end of the millennium, right?

But things get progressively worse and worse as time goes on Okay, the the pre -millennial view that we just talked about sees history getting worse and worse and worse until Jesus finally comes

I thought that was interesting how there was One point apart from the essentials that the pre mill and the all mill actually agree with and they see things as getting worse worse and worse and so That is actually important going into the third and final view which is called post

Millennialism I'll tell you what I will ask questions here in just a second. So the post millennial position

Really similar to the all millennial position because the all mill would see Christ return as post as well

Coming back after the millennial reign. So this this view is similar to the all mill

Seeing that Jesus's second coming is post or after right? But the thing that I want you to know is this this thousand years on earth is

Jesus already being in heaven and this is going to be a gradual things will get better and better and better until he returns

It'll be a gradual increase of the gospel and its power to change lives

Okay, that's the major distinction that I can see between the all millennial view and the post millennial view, right?

Things get better and better and better by the preaching of the gospel fulfilling the Great Commission and winning people to Christ It's almost like this view of the whole world will get

Christianized the whole world Majority will be Christian and then Jesus returns to set up his kingdom

Okay, so let's see here They see this would also be a partial preterist view a lot of these things happen

Maybe in a in a cycle a cyclical fashion But a lot of these things found their fulfillment a lot of the judgments were building up to 70

AD with the destruction of the temple Like the all mill view. So the last terminology that I want to kind of present to y 'all is what's called theonomy

Okay. Now this is an exclusive to the post mill position You can be an all millennial person and hold to what's called theonomy, but it's interesting how the post millennial view

Sees theonomy. Okay this term reasons that society will be

Reconstructed by the law of God as preached in the gospel in the Great Commission So theonomist believe that it is the the duty of Christians to create a worldwide pattern after the

Mosaic Law So in essence, that's theonomy. Do we have is the next slide

Joe the illustration? So I tried to zoom in a little bit on this I couldn't fit it in on your handouts, but you see how the early church went through great tribulation

There's going to be a span of time where the whole world becomes evangelized and progressively comes more and more

Christian Until Jesus returns, but as society gets better with the preaching of the gospel

It's based on this idea that Christians will look to the Old Testament the laws of Moses that was given to Israel and reconstruct those into our

Our governments like our individual families our church our civil government. And so this is what's called theonomy

It's an orthodox teaching, right? I don't think for me. I didn't learn about it till in recent time past So it's an orthodox position and a lot of post -millennial

People see this being crucial and the times getting better and better until Jesus returns

So in closing, I just want to remind all of you I know it might seem like information overload, right?

I want to say look There's a lot of moving parts to hear but be encouraged to know that Jesus is coming back and that we're gonna be with him

Right and no matter how it all, you know shakes out God wins in the end We don't need to put our trust in some rapture that may happen pre -pit

At the end in the middle wherever we need to have our hope ultimately in Jesus Christ Right, but I want to say go study these things out

My me and Joe we talked about how I like to lay the eschatology trap. I love talking about these things

I'm really I'll reel you in to talk about these things because I've experienced what it's like to be blessed from studying

These things and so the last thing I want us to all remember is in our statement of faith that one line that says in essentials unity in non -essentials

Liberty and in all things charity Sound good So I know y 'all have to have questions because we're talking about the end times in the book of Revelation So this is a time where I'd love to hear kind of some of y 'all's in point

So let's start with Ben. You had a question here a second ago You probably would help me better on that because I believe you hold to the idealist position

So do you care to help us with that distinction? Yeah, for sure

Yeah Yeah Yeah, it's really good

It's interesting. There's a lot of different pre millennial views, right? There's a lot of different all millennial views and I'm sure

I don't know the post millennial position. It's the most optimistic It's like man, I hope things get better and better and better, but there's even distinctions within them

So hopefully these handouts will be good guides for you to go study on your own be like, okay There's at least a broad category.

Yeah Okay Okay.

Yeah. Yeah sweet, yeah, so Yeah Right, but also

New Testament. So that's really neat I thought that was I thought that was really good because it at least gives us a reference point and I think all the views

Would still go to the Old Testament to look for least principles And so I thought you know There's a lot of merit and and looking to see how

Israel least did it how God prescribed his law and how we should you? Know what are the processes of you know being in favor of what it looks like for today?

So I thought theonomy was very interesting. Yes So that is that is good, right?

So the question is if all Scripture is God -breathed, how can any of it be symbolic?

so Love some of y 'all's input on this right, but I would say this there is literal truth to symbolism

Right. So let me give you an example what I mean there were literal laws in the Old Testament of sacrificing lambs

Right, that was symbolic of what would be literally fulfilled in Christ So I like what you're emphasizing on is this all

God -breathed. It's important, right? But just because something is symbolic doesn't mean that it's not important or doesn't have actually a literal

Fulfillment where the debate comes in is how literal is something versus how symbolic and how does that actually play out?

So that's a good question. Remember coming out of church history. Those are the same questions that other people have asked

So I'm with you. I feel that tension Right, so that's really good

Greg. Yes, Daniel 6

Yeah, yeah, so a lot of times he's saying the text even tells you this is symbolic but this is how it's to be understood

Right. Does anybody else have any questions? I know they're out there I'm surprised

Tate doesn't have a question Tori sure

Joe, can we queue up the post The illustration for the post -millennial position

Of the oh the paragraph Okay I might have it in my notes too.

So do you just wanted to make a note of it? Okay We may have to get together afterwards so Does anybody else have any questions?

I really thought there would be questions about Antichrist and the mark of the beast

And things like that and I would say we man it is it's so hard because could the

Antichrist be a person Well, the pre -millennial view would say very very possible. It seems like we read about a person

And then the other positions may hold to that may say it might be just the spirit of the age

Right because remember in first John it talks about how there are already Antichrist among you Right.

So I think those are important things to weigh in as well Is that it

Tori this line Okay, we've got just another minute or two are there any final thoughts or questions

Yes Well, thank you for pointing out because I used to be

I knew one view and that was it didn't care But it's it's been enrichening to study church history and to hear the good arguments for the other views

So I'm with you and this is this is a thing where I've transitioned over time saying I I can be persuaded

Right because all three of these are good and orthodox and they hold to the essentials Yes Thank you so much, sir, yes, thank y 'all so much anything else

I Thought I saw Bruce's hand almost go halfway up Okay, well, let's go ahead and close open it you know what ask me afterwards that's that's how you in that I'm just kidding.

We'll talk about afterwards if you want to so Yeah, I actually didn't have any notes

All right, let's let's pray Holy Father I just want to thank you so much for this time to to spend reading and In the book of Revelation and these things that concern your second coming

God just prayed that above all if anybody was hearing maybe got lost Well, I just prayed that you'd give them a hope in you

Jesus to return and that we should we should just put all of our Hope got it in that and have peace in that.

So Lord I just pray that we wouldn't be discouraged by the book of Revelation But God that we would spend precious time in it and we would be blessed for reading it

Well, I just pray that you'd be with us throughout the rest of the service God I pray that you give us open hearts and ears of understanding