A Bit On Eschatology...
For those of you interested in knowing my eschatological position...well, I don't really have one. Basically, I believe in the Second Coming Of Jesus and the Great White Throne Judgement that would culminate in the new heaven and earth.
I don't really have any allegiance to the specifics (Like amillenialism, premillenialism etc.), though I consider postmillenial preterism an option I'm leaning closest too. I'm basically neutral in these regard though. However, I do denounce hyper-sensationalism (Two words: Left Behind) as well as heretical hyper-preterism.
The problem with eschatology is that there are just so, so many options. One can read a book by Ladd brilliantly outlining and defending historic pre-millenialism, and then, read another book that critiques it devastatingly. Either way, you're tossed to and fro.
But of course, I never throw up my hands and give up. I consider eschatology a very, very important aspect of the Christian faith- one that is indispensable. Being a former pre-tribber (and rather fatalistic too, if you can guess why!), I've taken the road to what I consider a far, far more sensible outlook on eschatology. Sound exegesis and not choosing select apolocalyptic verses and see if that fit the pattern of today's events.
Nevertheless, I consider two things important: To watch for Jesus' coming. And to live in light of it. If you've done that, then you've got (In my opinion) a pretty good eschatology already.
There is also the closely related debate between dispensationism and covenant theology that I don't want to go through here; suffice to say that I consider covenant theology the better grounded stance, scripturally speaking.
My advice? Study hard and always compare what you read to the word of God. Keep in mind the styles of interpreting prophecy- Most of verses relating to it are not meant to be taken literally. Your hermeneutic matters. And in the end, whether you end up being a premillenialist, amilennialist or postmillenialist, know that at least you have studied the Word of God responsibly to come to your position- and for that I shall respect you...hehe.
Note: This blog post has been significantly revised.
I don't really have any allegiance to the specifics (Like amillenialism, premillenialism etc.), though I consider postmillenial preterism an option I'm leaning closest too. I'm basically neutral in these regard though. However, I do denounce hyper-sensationalism (Two words: Left Behind) as well as heretical hyper-preterism.
The problem with eschatology is that there are just so, so many options. One can read a book by Ladd brilliantly outlining and defending historic pre-millenialism, and then, read another book that critiques it devastatingly. Either way, you're tossed to and fro.
But of course, I never throw up my hands and give up. I consider eschatology a very, very important aspect of the Christian faith- one that is indispensable. Being a former pre-tribber (and rather fatalistic too, if you can guess why!), I've taken the road to what I consider a far, far more sensible outlook on eschatology. Sound exegesis and not choosing select apolocalyptic verses and see if that fit the pattern of today's events.
Nevertheless, I consider two things important: To watch for Jesus' coming. And to live in light of it. If you've done that, then you've got (In my opinion) a pretty good eschatology already.
There is also the closely related debate between dispensationism and covenant theology that I don't want to go through here; suffice to say that I consider covenant theology the better grounded stance, scripturally speaking.
My advice? Study hard and always compare what you read to the word of God. Keep in mind the styles of interpreting prophecy- Most of verses relating to it are not meant to be taken literally. Your hermeneutic matters. And in the end, whether you end up being a premillenialist, amilennialist or postmillenialist, know that at least you have studied the Word of God responsibly to come to your position- and for that I shall respect you...hehe.
Note: This blog post has been significantly revised.
This entry was posted
on Wednesday, June 08, 2005 at 10:51 AM.
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