Eschatology
Eschatology, this is simply one of those words
that simply means "the study of last things" - but today it's a hot
topic for debate. Christians disagree when it comes to the millennium,
the rapture, and how you are going to interpret the Book of Revelation.
The question we have to ask ourselves is this, is this issue enough
to break fellowship over? Strange as it seems there are few areas of
theology on which Christians are as divided as eschatology.
There just doesn't seem to be a Christian
consensus. Unfortunately, this lack of consensus has led to all kinds
of division. The question is this, should we divide over issues like
eschatology? My answer is Yes - and No! See we should divide from those
who will deny essentials of the Christian faith like Christ's literal
return to earth, or the resurrection of the saints, even the judgment
of the wicked. These issues are, of course, central to the historic
Christian faith.
However, it is important that we do not divide
on secondary issues like the timing of the rapture or the nature of
the millennium. It's not that these things are unimportant, it's just
that they are not essential to a person's salvation. Understanding of
the rapture or the millennium does not in any way affect a person's
understanding of the nature of God the Father or of Jesus Christ. The
rapture and the millennium are considered secondary issues within Christian
theology. So again, let's not divide over peripheral or secondary issues.
Instead I think it would be a lot more healthy if we studied the issues
carefully in light of the Scriptures, and then came to our own conclusions.
This is a topic of which we can have healthy debates, but not division.
To be honest, I remember that Walter Martin
held to a post-tribulational position - often times when pressed, he
would say, "I'm a pan tribulationist, you know, whatever way it pans
out." What he meant is that whatever way it pans out I'm happy. What's
really important is that we are going to meet with the Lord in the air
and we're going to live with Him forever. These are the sorts of things
that we ought to encourage each other with. So whether you're pre-trib,
mid-trib, or post-trib, the real issue is, "whatever way it pans out."
But again, let's not say don't study the issues - study it carefully,
but don't divide.
Eschatology is largely an in-house controversial
issue amongst evangelical Christians, all of whom agree on the essential
eschatological teachings of Scripture including the future bodily return
of Christ, general resurrection, judgement, eternal life for the righteous,
and eternal punishment for the unrighteous. Eschatology (from the Greek
eschatos meaning "last") is the study of "last things" or the end times.
Questions relating to the timing of the Millennium
(Rev. 20:1-6) and the Rapture (1 Thess. 4:16-17) and their relationships
to the Second Coming of Christ are at the crux of this debate. The three
major eschatological views held by evangelicals regarding the Millennium
are premillennialism, amillennialism, and postmillennialism. Within
the premillennial tradition, there are three major eschatological views
held by evangelicals regarding the Rapture: pretribulationism, midtribulationism,
and posttribulationism.
{ Back To Previous
Page }
