Category Archives: Eschatology

Central in Eschatology

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“We emphasize truths as central which are central in Scripture. The prophecy that Jesus will return is central. The prophecy that there will be a Day of Judgment is central. Details concerning a coming great tribulation, the potential timing and character of a rapture, the interpretation of the Beast from the Sea and of the antichrist, the timing and character of the millennium are all clearly not central. It is legitimate to have opinions about these matters. It is illegitimate to use one’s opinions about these questions to define what orthodox Christianity is, to divide churches, and to exclude Christians from ministry positions. In view of the fact that orthodox Christians have held different positions for centuries, it is foolish, even arrogant, to insist on the absolute truth of one’s position on these surely minor questions.” – Eckhard Schnabel (professor of New Testament at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School), 40 Questions About The End Times, 312-313

“The early Christians prayed that Jesus might come back soon. They believed that Jesus’ return was imminent, allowing for the possibility that this might happen during their lifetime. Yet, they never mention a time frame within which Jesus would return. They never calculate how close the end might be. They never set a date. They waited, but they did not speculate. They did not make false predictions: Jesus could indeed have returned in the first century, after Jerusalem and the temple had been destroyed. At the same time, the early Christians knew that Jesus’ return might be delayed. Jesus repeatedly spoke about a delay and about the fact that his return would be sudden and unexpected. This must be our attitude as well if we heed Jesus’ exhortation and the apostles’ anticipation: we eagerly wait for Jesus’ return, we do not speculate about dates, and we do the work of the Lord in the meantime, until he comes back.” – Schnabel, 40 Questions About The End Times, 261

The Suffering Servant of Isaiah

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One of the most clear Bible prophecies that has already been fulfilled concerns Isaiah’s portrayal of the Suffering servant, found in Isaiah 52:13 – Isaiah 53. Written around 700 years before the time of Messiah, it is a fascinating description of One whose mission it would be to bear the sins of God’s people, be cut off from the land of the living and rise again from death.

The passage itself is extremely clear, yet it remains controversial for the simple fact that its implications are so radical. Many Jews see this passage as referring to the nation of Israel itself, while others see this as perhaps speaking of a second Messiah, for they cannot see (or refuse to see) how a victorious world conqueror could also be one who is shamed and despised in the way Isaiah decribes. However, Christians believe there is just one Messiah who fulfills every prophetic prediction in Himself by means of two comings into this world. In the first coming, He came to remove sin by means of His sacrifice, in the second, He comes to reveal the extent of His rule as King of Kings and Lord of lords. He already is the Lord; He already is the King, though earthly eyes still await the visible evidence of His rule. Yet just as certainly as the prophecies of Messiah’s birth, life, death and resurrection were fulfiled in His first coming, so the King will come again one day soon to claim what rightfully belongs to Him. Even so, come Lord Jesus.

Here’s my friend, Dr. James White as he walks us through Isaiah’s astonishing predictions, found in chapter 52:13 and following:

Part 1

Part 2

Bible Prophecy Fulfilled in Stunning, Dramatic Detail

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In light of the Harold Camping debacle (I fully endorse Dr. James White’s open letter to Camping found at a time when many in the world are scoffing at the truth claims of the Bible, how good it is to remind ourselves that God’s word stands alone as the ultimate source of revelation for the future.

We should always remember that around 80% of the Bible’s predictions have already been fulfilled. That does not mean that the Bible is only 80% accurate. Far from it in fact. I venture to say that the Bible is 100% accurate and will be proven to be so as time transpires. The remaining 20% of Bible prophecy are yet to be realised, simply because they relate to events immediately before, during and after the second coming of Messiah.

As Christians, we believe our Savior’s name is the Lord Jesus Christ. Its important to understand that “Christ” is not Jesus’ last name, but rather a title. The word “Christ” comes from the Greek word “Christos” which is the Greek translation of the Hebrew word for Messiah. When we say, “Jesus Christ” we are literally saying, “Jesus the Christ” or “Jesus the Messiah.” But are these claims valid? Can we be sure that Jesus is the long awaited Messiah?

Through what we call Messianic Prophecies, God provided a sure and certain way to recognize His Messiah when He came. These are events written in the Bible, hundreds and even thousands of years before they would take place in time. Only God could reveal such amazing detail millennia in advance of the events.

God had declared that His Messiah would be a descendant of Abraham (Gen. 22:18), from the tribe of Judah (Gen. 49:10), and a son of David (Jer. 23:5,6; 1 Chron. 17:10b-14). God had also said that the Messiah would be born of a virgin (Isa. 7:14), in the surroundings of poverty (Isa. 11:1-2), in Bethlehem, the city of David (Micah 5:2). He would be proceeded by a herald (Isa. 40:3-5, Mal. 3:1), be seen riding on a donkey (Zech 9:9, 10) and would be present 483 years after the decree was made to rebuild Jerusalem, after the Babylonian captivity (Dan. 9:24-27). He would be a king (Gen 49:10; Isa. 9:6,7), a priest (Psalm 110:1-7) and a prophet (Deut. 18:15-19; Isa. 61:1, 2).

But there’s more. He would be legally tried and condemned to death and would suffer and die (Isa. 50;4-9; 52:13-53:12, Psalm 22), by means of piercing his hands and feet (Zech. 12:10; 13:7; Psalm 22), His death would be substitutionary (in the place of others), He would be buried in a rich man’s tomb and He would be resurrected from the dead (Isa. 52:13-53:12; Psalm 16:1-11; Psalm 22).

All in all, around 330 prophecies such as these were fulfilled by Jesus in His first coming, and as I have indicated above, many more will be fulfilled when He comes back to earth.

Amazingly, more than 30 prophecies were fulfilled in just one day – the day Jesus Christ died! Continue reading →