Apocalypse Continues...

Just thought I'd better get this pic out to you revealing the crossword puzzle clues from my previous post. All you have to do to read it in most browsers is just click on the image and it will enlarge.

Next post I'll try to put some of the questions we're getting from our sessions. Here's the link to week one's presentation An Introduction to Eschatology. Hope you'll make your way to Gathering as we continue for another couple of weeks.

Can Prophecies be Fulfilled Multiple Times?

Here's an interesting question a reader raised. Anyone else have an idea out there?

First Name: Tom
City: Waterloo
State: NE
Question(s): Concerning the Gathering topic on 10/04/09 The sign of "The Day of the Lord" is described in Isaiah 13:9,10. Is this also the same exact event that is mentioned in Rev. 6:12,13 and Matt. 24:29,30 and Mark 13: 24,25?
Thanks, Tom


Tom,
Thanks for submitting a question! This is one of the most fascinating things about eschatology and biblical prophecy. A single prophetic statement may actually have multiple layers of fulfillment. Let me explain. The Isaiah passage is communicating on three levels! It speaks to Isaiah’s immediate historical and literary audience. People in Isaiah’s time would have been challenged by the message – Israel and Judah were on the edge of entering the exile – an experience of God’s judgment on their generation. The fall of Samaria (Israel’s capital city) and the fall of Jerusalem (Judah’s capital city) at the hands of Assyrians and Babylonians would have been the immediate fulfillment “the dreadful day of the LORD” in their generation.

However, as you’ve hinted, it could be that the same prophecy re-echoed through salvation history and became relevant to the early church. The first century church reading John's apocalypse was about to experience the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple (again). Further down the time-line, though, there will be another awful Day of the LORD when Jesus returns.

The third level meaning is for believers today! Isaiah's prophecy legitimately points us forward in God's salvation timeline to a similar event or time in the future relative to us. Some might refer to this as the tribulation. Some would interpret this as the modern church and it's persecution.

So these prophecies don’t necessarily refer to the exact same event ... but they do refer to the same kind of event. An event with eschatological significance for those who await it and those who actually witness and experience it. That could be happening today. That could also happen in the future. Prophecy finds fulfillment on multiple levels!

Great question!

Tim Perry
Pastor of Spiritual Discovery / 402.938.1505 / cccomaha.org
Christ Community Church / 404 S. 108 Ave / Omaha, NE 68154

Apocalypse Starts Tomorrow!

Words Can't Describe It

One of the challenges we'll have over the next four weeks at Gathering is a shared vocabulary for what we'll be talking about. The apocalypse. Eschatology. Millennium. Rapture. On and on it will go! Let me recommend a couple of resources as we get started, then let's plunge in head-first!

InterVarsity Press publishes a very helpful set of very tiny dictionaries called The Pocket Dictionary of.... The reason I really like these tools is how brief the entries are and how quickly you can find stuff in them. Here's a quick link to this series:

IV Press Theological Dictionaries

Let's take a look at just two entries that will help us get started. If you would do me a huge favor and swat me your questions about end-times words and ideas. We can start getting some definitions out to you. In fact this week, we're planning on the first installment of a running glossary of terms you'll find helpful as we study end times and the apocalypse.

Eschatology

A Greek-derived term that means the study of (or belief about) the last times (Gk eschatos, "last [things]"). In the OT we find eschatological thought especially in the Prophets, with their use of the phrases "day of the Lord" or "in that day." For Israel’s prophets, that day would be a time of judgment by God for the disobedience of Israel (Amos 5:18-20). However, the prophets also saw a time of restoration from the judgment when a remnant would return to the land of Israel in faithful obedience to God (Hos 14:1–7). NT eschatology picks up on these images and, by combining them with apocalyptic thought, extends them to speak of the time when God will bring about the end of the old age and the beginning of the new, when even death itself will have no power and God will dwell in the midst of creation (Rev 21:1–5).

Patzia, Arthur G. ; Petrotta, Anthony J.: Pocket Dictionary of Biblical Studies. Downers Grove, Ill. : InterVarsity Press, 2002, S. 43


Apocalypse

Literally, an "unveiling" or "revelation." The term is employed in the opening words in the last book of the Bible, "The revelation [apokalypsis] of Jesus Christ" (Rev 1:1). It is also used by interpreters to describe certain "revelatory" parts of the book of Daniel, such passages as Isaiah 24–27 and Mark 13, and some noncanonical books.

Patzia, Arthur G. ; Petrotta, Anthony J.: Pocket Dictionary of Biblical Studies. Downers Grove, Ill. : InterVarsity Press, 2002, S. 13

Hit reply and send me your questions or swat me an e-mail. See you Sunday! Don't forget...bring your crossword puzzle (see previous post)!

Apocalypse Is Coming!

Just a brief word here on Apocalypse, a new Gathering series about to launch (Oct 4th). I'd like to start stirring the pot with my readers on this vastly complex topic. There are a couple of strategies we could take in discussing the biblical view the last days.

Possibility One
This strategy I'll call the Systematic Theology approach. In this scheme, one tries to devise a simple interpretive framework for understanding all the biblical data that has to do with the end times. The approach is a pretty helpful one, but as you can imagine, what starts out as a goal to be simple gets deep pretty fast when we're talking about all the stuff we see in books like Daniel, Ezekiel and Revelation. The goal in systematic theology is to help you plant your flag firmly in one camp or another Pre-Millennial or Amillenial. Pre-Tribulational or Post-Tribulational Second coming of Christ.

Possibility Two
This strategy we'll call the Biblical Theology approach. Biblical theology sticks as close as possible to the biblical and literary contexts of the relevant passages. Lots of loose ends are left hanging around. Frameworks and timelines are held pretty loosely in the process. Good Systematic Theology is rooted in good Biblical Theological method.

In Gathering, we'll definitely be starting with Possibility Two! Rather than jumping in the deep end right away, we'll try to build our understanding of this compelling subject from the ground up. We'll start week one off with an over-view and some definitions. We'll make lots and lots of space for questions each week! We'll also try to keep it real in terms everyday practical interests in the topic. So don't be surprised if we don't push one brand of eschatology over another. We'll all have much more fun exploring the Apocalypse in the end (Ha!).

On our way to the starting line, though, it would be great if you would hit the comment button or e-mail me your questions about the end times. Let's ramp up the dialog before October 4th!