Defense of Eschatology

[Jerok]

I’m posting some verses defending the practice of eschatology, the studying of the end times, which I’ve heard many say is not worth the time, etc, and we should always be prepared. I agree that we should always be prepared but also that it is good for someone to watch for Christ’s return.

First: Matthew 24: 35-36

"Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.

This verse is often cited against the practice of studying the endtimes. However, isn’t he talking about the previous sentence, the ‘passing away’ of heaven and earth, which noone knows? He isn’t talking about the Coming of the Son of Man, but rather the end of heaven and earth.

There are many prophecies about the tribulation and the coming of Christ, but a vague ‘1000 year reign of peace’ and then the devil will be let loosed before being eternally bound, which is very vague as to how long he’ll be let loose, etc. There’s no prophecies about how long that will be. But there are prophecies that are fortelling the second coming, they just need to be interpreted correctly. Which so far noone has been able to do. (Which could be because one key piece, the emergence of Israel as a nation, was missing until 1947-48, but that’s a different thread).

He also says many times to watch in Matthew and Mark.

In Revelation 3:3 he says “Remember then what you received and heard, kep that and repent. If you will not (keep awake, watch), I will come like a thief.”

This means that if you DO watch, he won’t come like a thief in the night and you will know when to expect him right?

Thoughts?

God bless

 

[thistle]

I’m posting some verses defending the practice of eschatology, the studying of the end times, which I’ve heard many say is not worth the time, etc, and we should always be prepared. I agree that we should always be prepared but also that it is good for someone to watch for Christ’s return.

First: Matthew 24: 35-36

"Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.

This verse is often cited against the practice of studying the endtimes. However, isn’t he talking about the previous sentence, the ‘passing away’ of heaven and earth, which noone knows? He isn’t talking about the Coming of the Son of Man, but rather the end of heaven and earth.

There are many prophecies about the tribulation and the coming of Christ, but a vague ‘1000 year reign of peace’ and then the devil will be let loosed before being eternally bound, which is very vague as to how long he’ll be let loose, etc. There’s no prophecies about how long that will be. But there are prophecies that are fortelling the second coming, they just need to be interpreted correctly. Which so far noone has been able to do. (Which could be because one key piece, the emergence of Israel as a nation, was missing until 1947-48, but that’s a different thread).

He also says many times to watch in Matthew and Mark.

In Revelation 3:3 he says “Remember then what you received and heard, kep that and repent. If you will not (keep awake, watch), I will come like a thief.”

This means that if you DO watch, he won’t come like a thief in the night and you will know when to expect him right?

Thoughts?

God bless

We don’t know when Christ will return so there is little point in trying to look for signs so we can watch for him.
We should simply obey him and always be prepared.

 

[Jerok]

We don’t know when Christ will return so there is little point in trying to look for signs so we can watch for him.
We should simply obey him and always be prepared.

Did you read my post? I gave scriptural answers to your objections…

Mark 13: 33. “Take heed, watch, and pray, for you do not know when the time will come”

Mark 13: 35-37. Watch therefore- for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or in the morning, lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. And what I say to you I say to all - Watch.

And Rev 3:3 above, which all point to watching so you know when he will come.

 

[bpbasilphx]

When I was a little boy, I was frightened of verses about Jesus coming as a “thief in the night.”

My mother explained it this way:

“What does a thief do?”

“He takes things that don’t belong to him.”

“And that’s what Jesus will do. He will take the hearts of people who don’t belong to Him. But Jesus DOES have your heart, so you’re safe and don’t have to worry.”

Good explanation for a child, no?

 

[Jerok]

Very good explanation actually, I like it

But it’s not the thread topic… some people say it’s wrong to look ahead and see when He will come again, but I say it isn’t and he told us to try.

 

[thistle]

Did you read my post? I gave scriptural answers to your objections…

Mark 13: 33. “Take heed, watch, and pray, for you do not know when the time will come”

Mark 13: 35-37. Watch therefore- for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or in the morning, lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. And what I say to you I say to all - Watch.

And Rev 3:3 above, which all point to watching so you know when he will come.

These are saying the same thing. Be prepared because he can come anytime. They are not telling us to look out for signs of his coming.

 

[Ron_Conte]

Pope Paul VI spoke on the importance of eschatology at the Special World Conference on Futures Research (1973). While some of the faithful have a low regard for any writings in the field of eschatology, the Pope urged the children of the Church to study eschatology as a way to prepare themselves for their own final meeting with the Creator:

“We are aware of the general theme of the Conference: the study of man and his future … this time you have addressed yourselves to the values which man, as a rational being, bears within himself and which he strives to bring to full realization. In this field the Church, as the bearer of a transcendent and revealed doctrine, certainly has something to say. She already possesses a science concerning future and final realities, the science of eschatology, and she continually urges her children to study the sublime truths which it embodies, so that they may prepare themselves for the final and decisive meeting with the Creator.”

Notice that the Pope describes eschatology as “a science concerning future and final realities.” It is a science in the broader sense of the word, a field of study and knowledge. Now eschatology, more so than many other areas of theology, is generally speculative. Yet the Pope refers to eschatology as a science, and the Church continually urges her children to study the sublime truths which eschatology embodies. Therefore, if anyone claims that eschatology is foolish or dangerous, or that it does not embody truths, or that it is not a field of knowledge, or that we should never study the future of the Church and the world, then he is contradicted by these words of Pope Paul VI, as well as by Christ’s own words in His eschatological discourse. If anyone rejects eschatology on the basis that is it fallible, or on the basis that it is speculative, then he has gone astray from the teaching of the Church. For though eschatology is fallible and generally speculative, it is not to be rejected as a field. Even the definitive teachings of the Catholic Faith cannot be understood, taught, and lived, without fallible reason, nor without speculative theology and pious opinion.

 

[Nita]

He also says many times to watch in Matthew and Mark.

In Revelation 3:3 he says “Remember then what you received and heard, kep that and repent. If you will not (keep awake, watch), I will come like a thief.”

This means that if you DO watch, he won’t come like a thief in the night and you will know when to expect him right?

Thoughts?

God bless

It does mean that if we repent and keep His word He will not come like a thief in the night – but it does not say that if we repent and obey He will give us foreknowledge of when we will die.
The passage tells us that we can know “how” He will come, not “when” He will come.

 

[centurionguard]

When I was a little boy, I was frightened of verses about Jesus coming as a “thief in the night.”

My mother explained it this way:

“What does a thief do?”

“He takes things that don’t belong to him.”

“And that’s what Jesus will do. He will take the hearts of people who don’t belong to Him. But Jesus DOES have your heart, so you’re safe and don’t have to worry.”

Good explanation for a child, no?

Actually I like this explanation. It never really dawned on me to look at it in this context.

Much Appreciated.

"And that’s what Jesus will do.

He will take the hearts of people who don’t belong to Him.

Like the Good Shepherd in search of His lost sheep.

**But Jesus DOES have your heart, so you’re safe and don’t have to worry."
**

 

[Fidelis]

Our Lord Jesus (in the Scriptures and through his Church) indeed does tell us to be always be aware of the times so that we will always be ready to meet him, either at the Second Coming or at the end of our individual lives, whichever comes first.

HOWEVER, he does NOT tell us to waste our time sitting around with a Bible in one hand and the newspaper in the other trying to match up the symbolism in prophetic and apocalyptic writings with certain countries, individuals and events to try to figure out the timing of the “rapture,” the length of the “tribulation,” and the identity of the Anti-Christ. This is an abuse of the Sacred Scriptures.

To do so is also foolish, vain and childish, and distracts us from the the real work of Jesus which is spreading the Good News of salvation and new life found in Him and at the same time preparing our own hearts for when we meet the Lord. THIS is the way we should read and put into action those texts and the way we should conduct our lives.

 

[James_S_Saint]

Our Lord Jesus (in the Scriptures and through his Church) indeed does tell us to be always be aware of the times so that we will always be ready to meet him, either at the Second Coming or at the end of our individual lives, whichever comes first.

HOWEVER, he does NOT tell us to waste our time sitting around with a Bible in one hand and the newspaper in the other trying to match up the symbolism in prophetic and apocalyptic writings with certain countries, individuals and events to try to figure out the timing of the “rapture,” the length of the “tribulation,” and the identity of the Anti-Christ. This is an abuse of the Sacred Scriptures.

To do so is also foolish, vain and childish, and distracts us from the the real work of Jesus which is spreading the Good News of salvation and new life found in Him and at the same time preparing our own hearts for when we meet the Lord. THIS is the way we should read and put into action those texts and the way we should conduct our lives.