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.

Labels: apocalypse, Crossword Puzzle, end times, eschatology

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)!

Labels: apocalypse, eschatology, Gathering, theological terms

Here's my first shot at an eschatology time-line. This comes from a great book I've been Nordicizing called The Gospel of the Kingdom by G.E. Ladd. Of all the numerous end-times schemes, this one actually seems sane to me (eschatology timelines get crazy real fast). We'll explain it on Sunday at Gathering when we begin our series called Apocalypse.

I offer this sketch to preview the conversation we'll have this week. The best starting point in my opinion in talking about the end times is the overlap between "this age"...and "the age to come". See Chapter III - The Kingdom is Today. Ladd's book is so refreshing because he keeps it simple.

When Jesus came announcing the Kingdom of God, he started to connect the time frame human history has always happened in (the bottom line) with the age to come in which the Kingdom of God overtakes all human history and the rule of Jesus is made complete.

The age we live in now - is a time of transition - a huge overlap let's call it between the world as we know it and the world to come in which all things will be made new. The first half of that overlapping history is called the church age and the second half of that time scripture calls the millennium.

Enough for now. We'll add more to the diagram as we talk about it from week to week at Gathering. I'll try to get you a few more posts before Sunday comes and start defining some helpful terms. I'll show you the book in the next post.

PS - you can ignore the stamp.

Labels: end times, eschatology, G. E. Ladd, kingdom of God, timeline

Check out this sweet little eschatalogical crossword puzzle for all you end-times buffs. Fabulous prizes for the first two people to hand me a completed, fully accurate puzzle. Download the puzzle by clicking here. Print it, fill it in and bring it to me at Gathering this next week (Oct 4th, 12:30pm at the Student Center on the Old Mill Campus). I'll check it and give you your prize on the spot!

Labels: Crossword Puzzle, end times, eschatology, free prize, Gathering

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!

Labels: apocalypse, doctrine, end times, eschatology, systematic theology